***The Official Prince Philip Funeral Thread*** Part 2

Here is the sky live link as well

Anyone find Peter Phillips handsome today?

I would call him hot rather than handsome, R2.

The gin and Dubonnet is flowing.

[quote]Anyone find Peter Phillips handsome today?

I was thinking that too! Ridding himself of a wife did wonders for his looks

Is there a funeral luncheon?

The lowering thing was kinda cringy, esp because it looked like the coffin was not straight on the catafalque and might hit the floor on the way down. I wonder if some ushers cleaned things up when they cut to the piper.

r3 r5 So you'd both shag him given the chance?

I wish they played house music 🎶 to up the attitude ante

Duh, R8. Well, I'd want him to shag me, more specifically.

r6 In the Windsor Castle apartments I believe?

Have the brigading gang of psychotic Megstans from Celebitchy succeeded in greying out this thread yet?

They managed the last one in record time.

They are so burned to see the love for this family and to see Harry getting on with Kate and Wills.

r10 Are you fantasising about it right now?

So Philip will just be stored in the main Royal Vault until the Queen goes, then they will either go in her parent's crypt, which is easily accessible to tourists, or they will construct one of their own.

I noticed some TV commentators make it out like it's some big 'tragedy'.

The guy was 99 years old, for Pete's sake. He wasn't going to live for 150 years. Unless he drinks the blood of virgins.

Let's just stay on-topic, shall we, R13?

[quote] then they will either go in her parent's crypt, which is easily accessible to tourists, or they will construct one of their own.

They'll go in the George VI chapel by her parents.

Well done, though it was kind of sad to see the Queen looked so stooped; all this drama has to be hard on the old girl

[quote] There was a Benny Hill streaker at the funeral. BBC did not mention it. True.

Wait, what?

Why was the other thread blacked out? Is the 'Klan Granny' troll on the loose again?

I enjoyed seeing them walking behind the casket and the beauty of the surroundings.

The Daily Mail has zero pics of the choir, but tons of the pallbearers holding the casket.

Megs is probably furiously texting away right now, trying to order Harry to come home NOW, but his phone is turned off and he's busy chatting happily to the family she hates so much. She must be fuming in Montecito after seeing him making it up with William and Kate.

Did US news channels broadcast any of the funeral? I didn’t see it here

Please upvote this thread to counteract the psychos who are descending on DL from the Meghan sites in order to grey it out and get it closed down.

All of them, r23.

r22 Or even actually phoning him now to say all that?!

Who else think Bea is knocked up?

r16 I will take that as a yes!

Wonderful singing.

I joked before the funeral about Gayle King acting as the Harkle Family Official spokesperson, but I'll be damned if she isn't doing that very thing. That woman is truly shameless.

r27 Me! And Kate too with her fourth child wouldn't surprise me!

r24 I doubt it is from the other sites. The Klan Granny troll is one sick puppy.

Now back to the funeral....

R23 Anderson Cooper spearheaded CNN's coverage.

He included clips from other military parades for a "who did it best" segment.

r24 Done 🙂👍

Nice use of "catafalque", r7. Few are fluent in mortuary terminology.

It was a beautiful service.

Sadly in the next few years we’ll see more BRF funerals than weddings. Catherine looked smashing in black and pearls, although she is too thin. Zara looked well. The York girls just looked dumpy.

With that outfit Anne was telling Meghan, from here on in I will go full Harry Potter on your ass!

Yes there was a streaker who tried to make it to the castle.

[quote] I wonder if some ushers cleaned things up when they cut to the piper.

Why? Is Philip ripe enough to start dripping already?

I didn't see the lowering on my BBC feed. Or maybe just a few seconds of the start of it. That's what I wanted to see! My question - when was this mechanism installed? How grand but lugubrious.

R38 Oh God. Nasty old crone.

I appreciated the coffin shape. Not used so much nowadays.

[quote]Catherine looked smashing in black and pearls, although she is too thin.

Which is kind of too bad since I happened to catch a clip of the Harkle wedding & she looked pretty & apple cheeked with the little extra baby weight she was carrying at the time. Once the Harkles are safely in the rear view mirror, hopefully she'll just say "fuck it" and have a sandwich

His life and career could in itself be used as rebuke to the Posturing, Hectoring Wokerati:

-From a broken home, a dysfunctional family and with a mother with life-long and acute mental heath issues.

-Immigrant (indeed, could be classed as a refugee).

-Abandoned in a boarding school at a young age, and all that might imply.

-In-laws and close family members who were criminals (SS et al).

-Integrated into his adopted country

-As a teenager and into his 20s he fought Fascism.

-International-class sportsman in three codes

-He married a powerful woman and supported her unswervingly for 73 years.

-Moderniser of the Royal Family.

-Pioneer of environmental issues...and taking practical steps to implement them.

-Actively supported deprived inner-city youths.

-Actively sought to modernise industry.

-Keen supporter of military personnel, their families and veterans.

etc....

Gayle King is either corrupt or a moron but she embarrasses herself so willingly it has to be one or the other. What a pointless fool.

What is in Andrew's pants- a catheter?

[quote]Or even actually phoning him now to say all that?!

No! I said put me on! She will want to hear from me! I have an affirmation for her that will change everything! And wait - what about that tiara I want?

R46 I think he spotted his “Red” well hidden in the crowd

Is there enough room for them in The George VI Chapel?

R42 She looked beautiful at the Harkle’s wedding with a few extra kilos on her. Pretty round cheeks and face. Then she dieted herself into oblivion again. She’s got serious willpower, I’ll give her that.

Well, not much more to say. Guess we'll have to wait for the next twist in the story.

I’m sure the tabloids are ready, r51. Now they’ll be crowing about the reconciliation. Two weeks from now, another breakdown. And on.

Harry must have been fairly overwhelmed. The last time he was in that chapel he was making the greatest mistake of his life, although from his point of view he was probably thinking " The last time I was here everyone was so happy, Philip was so happy, etc, etc"

[quote]Well, not much more to say. Guess we'll have to wait for the next twist in the story.

One last word on unexpected funeral MVP Peter Philips; standing between Wills & Harry, he looked better than both of them, even though he's the oldest. Even though they are both fit, there is just something pasty & pinched about those two.

I don't know, but I found the scaled back funeral without all the politicians, crowned heads, and other dignitaries more poignant, meaningful, and appropriate. There was just the right amount of military presence.

So touching, when the Queen came at the end of the funeral procession -- giving him in death the position denied to him in life -- coming ahead of her.

The music and choir were sublime. Bagpiper was sad as they lowered the coffin into the Vault. He joins Henry VIII, Jane Seymour, and Charles I down there until he's moved to the George VI Chapel.

Bugler and trumpets at the end were terrific.

Most poignant scene was the Queen sitting alone.

The British know how to send you off.

And Prince William is way hotter than Harry.

[quote] Immigrant (indeed, could be classed as a refugee).

He was a titled ARISTOCRAT from an upper-class family, R44, with equally upper-class connections in Britain. He wasn’t some Mexican immigrant-labourer.

[quote] Abandoned in a boarding school at a young age, and all that might imply.

Being in Boarding school was LUXURY back then - it guaranteed white-collar employment instead of a life of manual labour.

Many lower-class rural European kids didn't even get a chance to go to school back then - they went straight to work in the fields. Most of Europe was agricultural, many farmers along Europe’s impoverished Mediterranean Coast were illiterate - couldn’t even read or write. So Pip being left in "boarding school" is not the sob-story that you think it is, but rather a massive leg-up privilege. [quote] As a teenager and into his 20s he fought Fascism.

As did MOST guys in Europe. I lost 3 great-grandparents in the war. Except Patrician Pip got to retire in a castle with servants - meanwhile the Plebs did manual labour for the rest of their lives (to rebuild the burned down cities and villages).

[quote] He married a powerful woman and supported her unswervingly for 73 years.

Why woulnd’t he support her “unswervingly “ - Liz was a Golden Goose and his ticket to a super-rich life, with castles and servants and private cooks (he never had to worry about money shortages ever again - thanks to her, he was set for life).

[quote] Keen supporter of military personnel

It’s ironic that he fought against Fascism in the 40s - and then his "precious" British Army became fascists themselves, invading & b0mbing other continents (West Asia, North Africa) even in the 21st C.

[quote] He joins Henry VIII, Jane Seymour, and Charles I down there until he's moved to the George VI Chapel

If there are such things as ghosts of spiritual beings, he & Henry VII will down there swapping stories about the choice tail they've had in their lives with Charles I covering his ears

R56 I get the point you're making, but we really out to stop using the terminology 'fighting fascism'. Yes, yes, they used a lot of Us vs Them propaganda at the time, and it really paints the Allies better to be fighting a noble cause, but I think we all know now that nobody at the time really minded fascism in and of itself. Hitler trying to take over the world? Yes, that rustled jimmies. But fascism thing take or leave it.

"... the Queen came at the end of the funeral procession"

I knew I saw her leg twitching. I said to Charles, "The old bird is frigging herself again".

*ought

I almost wonder if it's set a template for something simpler... a family funeral or service at St. George's Chapel after the state thing at Westminster. It was so lovely and powerful in the simplicity.

Someone asked re the George VI Chapel... it is very small. I don't know where they would put two more bodies, barring an extension of it, which is possible.

I am somewhat surprised. She will surely be the longest reigning sovereign... I thought she'd get something distinct, like Victoria's mausoleum. Though I guess her burial can be comparatively humble compared to the national monument she'll get. I sometimes imagine they'll do a statue of her on the reverse of Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace. Victoria gazes outward to the world, at the lost empire, Elizabeth gazes directly upon the successors to come, basically saying, don't drop the orb and sceptre.

R58, yes, you're right on that.

Rot in hell, Cryptkeeper Nazi.

What total, utter, fucking bullshit, r58.

You are EXACTLY the person I was thinking of when I posted that.

He REALLY fought ACTUAL fascism.

You just call anything and everything you don't like "fascism", with no idea what it meant to truly fight the Axis powers.

You ARE the useless "hectoring, posturing Wokerati" type to which I was directly referring.

Turns out Philip is in a separate vault to Henry VIII.

Watching the video, no one but Meghan looked happy, R53. Including Harry! Maybe Jess Mulroney who loves the camera almost as much. Harry looked grim and the family looked stricken. And, she has turned out to be even worse than anticipated. Philip was said to call her "destructive" and "Wallis."

Not sure Harry "does" feelings, there was a lot of shifting, looking around and a very casual posture.

Did they sew Charles 1's head back on?

[quote] Even though they are both fit, there is just something pasty & pinched about those two.

They're ENGLISH. What do you expect? They all run pasty and pinched.

That's like complaining that Armenian men are hairy.

R64, the British Empire (which dear Patrician Pip joined) was the biggest Empire that ever existed.

In fact, Germany specifically tried to emulate the British Empire in terms of the scale of the Brits' invasion & occupation. The scale was as follows: one quarter of the planet was conquered by Brits. Germany wanted a global-occupation Empire like the Brits had.

The reason why most of the world speaks "English" today and it's the 'lingua franca' is because Britain was actually the 'Third Rome', not Germany. Germany aspired to be as world-conquering as Britain - and failed.

{quote]The music and choir were sublime.

The best part of being Anglican!

I'm not sure, R67. He was beheaded on a scaffold erected beside Whitehall (The location today is across the street from Life Guards Parade). He was buried hastily at Windsor that night.

Legend has it that when Mary I came to the throne, she had her father's corpse dug up and burned as a heretic.

Those regicides who had died, of course, after the Restoration were dug up, beheaded, drawn and quartered. Supposedly, Cromwell's head lies beneath the entrance to Sidney Sussex College at Cambridge (or its chapel), but none know its exact location.

^ Ginger nocturnal emissions 🌃

There was quite a sweet moment when Beatrice turned back for a last glance just before leaving the church, and her husband put his arm around her. It must be surreal to lose a loved one at 99; you've probably being steeling yourself for their death for about twenty years by that point.

Yes, R72...I'll have some nocturnal emissions (ginger and otherwise) over the hunky Marines that bore his coffin into the chapel.

I had several nocturnal emissions way back in 1997 over a few Grenadiers who bore Diana's coffin into and out of Westminster Abbey.

[quote] It must be surreal to lose a loved one at 99; you've probably being steeling yourself for their death for about twenty years by that point.

Earlier than that. I started steeling myself for my parents' deaths when they turned about 70. Even so, it was still hard when my dad died at 84.

r36 Who did you have in mind aside from the Queen who I think will surpass a century?

[quote] Well done, though it was kind of sad to see the Queen looked so stooped;

She's been like this for some time.

Huge looked... pregnancy is not her friend. She looked like she's still got a cricket team in there.

It's nice she wasn't there with her Xanax grin and uncertainty. It was a dignified occasion.

Maybe it's just that she hadn't been out in public for nearly a year but I did think when the Queen emerged, she looked more stooped & fragile, but that she can walk any distance is impressive at her age. It might have been the grief, but that walk to the church looked it was going to be the death of Charles

[quote] I didn't see the lowering on my BBC feed.

I watched on the BBC, as well. It seems like they stayed focused on the music in the nave (and the bagpiper?), and then when they switched back to the choir both the coffin and catafalque were gone.

They started the lowering when the Garter King of Arms (and pies apparently) was reading the declaration. You could see it slightly start to lower on the BBC before the cut to the piper.

The Telegraph says it was done on purpose, to give the family privacy.

That must have been the moment that was hardest for them to bear.

So do people go into the vault and place him on some sort of shelf? Are there named plaques?

Royal vault

[quote] What is in Andrew's pants- a catheter?

Did anyone notice the odd way that Andrew was walking? My first thought was "portly prince", but maybe something other than just that?

Thanks R86 & R88. I guess they will put him on a shelf until the Queen dies. It’s pretty sensible when you think about it.

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Helluva shot by Chris Jackson. Like a movie still.

r91 Fantastic photo

Agreed. Incredible photo at R91.

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MeAgain tried to act out and pull attention today, as did her mouthpieces, but their insignificance is clear.

Scoobie Doo recounting what medals Haru was wearing, during the service, was sad and small. No one gives a F @ her wreath. The man was hospitalized the day after the family was told of the Oprah interview. Philip may well be here today but for them and that will never be forgotten even if people are civil to Haz.

Mask + veil = mystery and drama. Interesting that Jackson chose to post his photo in b/w. He recognized the noir quality.

Cathherine looked beautiful.

Hard to believe someone would fumble being part of all this history and wealth just to pal around with Gayle King. Had they ever taken Archie to Balmoral, rather than hanging with Elton John, there would have been photos of him and Prince Philip too. They have robbed those kids of so much.

R91 Agree that that is an incredible photo. And wearing the Queen's favourite pearls. HM ain't messing about.

Oh and jewels

The pearls were gorgeous as well, only worn by the Queen and Diana previously.

Fun fact: Meagain's handwritten note was her Amazon Wishlist.

The other amazing thing is that Kate was wearing two layers and still looked so slim. There was a dress under that overcoat with the bow on it.

Kate benefits from having her nose and mouth covered--she looks fine with a bit more meat on her bones, but when she's so thin her cheeks and mouth area aren't very attractive.

This is the first time that I realised she has green eyes. I had always assumed they were brown.

Kate did look very beautiful today, though I had to laugh at the picture of Camilla looking as flowsy as ever while Anne appears to have accepted a new position at Hogwarts as head of Gryffindor house

Kate is playing chess yet again.

I wonder if the Queen stood over the lowered casket and threw earth onto it before she left, like she did at her mother's funeral.

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Edit to R81 I was totally wrong about the lowering and what was going on during it. I watched a couple of clips on YouTube. The BBC just stayed focused on the clergy and whomever was speaking at the altar while the coffin was lowered.

R58, nonsense. I suppose the Spanish Civil War happened because people could take or leave fascism. I suppose millions of people in 1930s became Communists for no reason at all.

Great photo of the Queen & Philip

Is Harry booking the next flight to LA?

A rawther tall and gangly 13 year-old schoolboy provided the form for her special funeral outfit.

Did Gayle King say anything when Harry was walking alongside William and Kate?

Now Hear This!

I do hereby reserve the right to make fun of any side of this family I wish depending on the entertainment value.

It was fun torturing Harry for the funeral because he is a shit head, but the BRF’s treatment of Megan was unpardonable and I am allowed to take her side in the future even if she’s dim.

R97: They would have failed "The Balmoral Test" spectacularly. So, in the end, it didn't matter.

Things that stood out to me:

Kate wearing the queens pearl necklace.

Why is Harry is not getting his hair cut, are there no barbers around?

Charles and Ann looked truly devastated, it’s the first time I have ever seen that much emotion from them.

The queen looked sad but seemed to be keeping up a strong facade and honestly it hit me hard, this is true devotion to her country and family and I fear we are witnessing the last great monarch to ever rule.

Camila did not seem to be fazed and the same goes for Edward’s son who looked a bit off, so maybe the rumors about the kid are true.

Harry sitting alone made me feel so sad for him, it was such a contrast to the others who were accompanied by their spouses. It was a reflection of his current situation within the family, he is on his own now.

William reminded me so much of his mother when the camera captured his side profile.

Did they all stay over at Windsor and make sure they were ready? If they had to drive there from home what if one of them needed a pish?

Apparently Scobie or Gayle or someone mentioned today that there could be another Oprah interview...and this English guy is PISSED about it.

Lilibet has daily 5 o’clock tea and drinks a glass of champaigne every night before going to sleep. I wonder, if she has continued these traditions.

[quote]Harry sitting alone made me feel so sad for him, it was such a contrast to the others who were accompanied by their spouses. It was a reflection of his current situation within the family, he is on his own now.

Everybody's making a big deal about Harry sitting alone. He was not the only one and no he was not being shunned. Andrew was also sitting alone in the same row as him, as well as someone in one of the back rows. Nothing to do with anybody's current situation.

What hymns were played?

Kate's eye makeup is fantastic. I've never really noticed her eyes before, but whatever they did was a standout. That photo at R91 will be one for the history books when we look back on this day. Charles was the most emotional of the bunch. I watched the service without the commentary. It was lovely. The sky was perfect and everything looked stunning. I think Phillip would be pleased. I wonder if there is drunken fights happening behind the scenes now at Windsor.

Yeah, what's all this shit about "sitting alone"? Especially for the royals. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown." You're supposed to be strong enough to sit alone. Geez.

I know she just had a baby, but Eug's ass was massive! There was a photo shortly after the interview where Kate was wearing a white, un-cinched, Catherine Walker dress coat and I was convinced she was pregnant. It was just the outfit. Seeing her today, she definitely is not. All the women (except Camilla, lol) were wearing these sever stilettos. I don't how, especially Kate, they were able to walk in those up the cobbled streets. It looked like Bea and Eug had to take it slow going down those few steps. As usually. the Palace nailed it with the morning suits w/ metals, the seating, the walking. It really took the air out of any potential drama and speculation. It was nice to see Kate, Wills, and Harry initially walk together, with the brother forging ahead. I'd really love to see Meghan disappear sooner than later.

Andrew is divorced so his sitting alone is expected.

The photo at R94 makes William look like her has hair!

The stiletto heels were sort of ridiculous. Sophie Wessex looked especially careful leaving the chapel.

There’s nothing wrong with wearing a lower or sturdier heel, for fucks sake. Do you need to look sexy at a funeral?

[quote] Andrew is divorced so his sitting alone is expected.

He did ask to bring a date, but the answer was a resounding "NO."

Both Andrew and Harry sitting there alone, wearing masks, each in his own way thinking, “What the fuck happened?”

I heard that QE disfavors wedge shoes. Supposedly, Kate likes wedge shoes but won't wear them when with QE.

The high, pointy heels are formal, I guess. On cobblestones, the women would be walking on the front parts of their feet (not landing on their heel tips).

I like what is Ann is wearing, it’s no nonsense and suits her style. She is paying her respects to her beloved father and could care less what people think about her.

In that part of the chapel where the choir and musicians were based there are statues and memorials all along the perimeter between those columns. The most striking and moving is for Princess Charlotte and her baby, whose deaths in 1817 left the UK without a clear heir, and sparked the baby race that led to Queen Victoria.

[quote]Charles and Ann looked truly devastated, it’s the first time I have ever seen that much emotion from them.

I thought that too; when you're elderly parents die, its sad but its also a relief to see an end to their pain. Their devastation appears to indicate that Philip loomed large in their lives up to the end. And it also must be tough for Charles, burying his larger than life, distant father who gave his life to the service of the monarchy while his own son works to blow it all to pieces

Harry is satisfied being married to Meghan. All this speculating about how miserable he is reminds me of the "Melania (Trump) is a prisoner" bullshit.

I will say Harry looked pretty relaxed walking and talking with Will and Kate after the funeral.

The best bit about the funeral..

Does anyone know if we're on PrimeTime?

R137 if you're a paedophile with cataracts maybe

[quote]if you're a paedophile with cataracts maybe

and math-challenged... [he's an adult...]

[Quote]She is paying her respects to her beloved father and could care less what people think about her.

Oh, dear.

Some of that singing was amazing. It's not even my thing, but one of those guys hit a note that was amazing. I wish I had taken note of where it was in the YouTube video.

Actually, R132, I suspect that Anne couldn’t care less. If she could care less, then she cares.

Even though there was some friendly conversation after the funeral, William’s comportment screamed ALPHA over Harry. He’s getting more and more regal with each passing day. Harry doesn’t stand a chance against his brother or Kate, who showed true grace and class around the traitorous lout.

I loved how Anne looked.

I was watching on The Royal Family Channel on Youtube. No babbling commentary, just the video, sounds and music.

When I first saw Anne, I thought (and still do) thought she looked marvelous. Looked like she was channeling her great-grandmother Queen Mary. The hat with a thin, slight, short veil. And the very long coat.

Now THAT's mourning attire for The Princess Royal.

Where did you find him, R137?!

R144... really?? I find it amazing that people imbue what they want in a three second clip of two people walking.

The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal honor their father.

The silhouette of the Princess Royal’s ensemble reminded me of something from the Suffragette period. Very 1910s.

This funeral was just beautiful, the music, the choir, the trumpeters, the bagpiper. Loved every moment of it.

Anne missed the memo about wearing sexy stilettos for the funeral. So did the Queen.

Do you think during the funeral anyone noticed even at a distance that Harry was smelling "funny down there"?

The stilettos were fine, Sophie looked really good in her profile snaps. Some women are so used to walking in heels that it actually bothers you to wear flat shoes.

Personally I think sensible shoes are the best choice for a funeral.

Poor Anne, she got none of the beauty of the rest of the family

Thank you R144 - I love “traitorous lout”!

Anne could look a *lot* better if she put some effort into it (and if she cared, I guess).

When I watched the interaction between the Cambridges and Harry, Will's fidgeting with his tie reminded me of when he ignored Meghan with his "scarfing" after the Christmas service.

At first, Kate was doing all of the work trying to engage with Harry. Then she fell back and let the brothers walk together. I didn't see any "warmth". It was cool but cordial. Why the hell would William trust Harry ever again after the Oprah interview and Gayle King divulging private conversations.

She's 70 for Chrissakes!

You have to figure everybody was very, very careful about what they said to him. If it's just going to wind up coming out of Gayle King or Scobiedoo, how can you have an honest conversation with him ever, as long as he's married to her? I imagine in their hearts of hearts they're hoping he will come back when the marriage implodes and then they can repair the relationships in full effect. But right now, with her ready to turn a profit on everything, the best they can do is keep the door ajar.

Princess Anne reminds me of Martina Navratilova.

I think Anne would make a better sovereign than Charles. She'd be the best of all 4 of them, frankly.

R137 is right. Tom Lilburn is gorgeous. He caught my eye. He's a lay clerk in the Chapel.

The final hymn was the traditional Eastern Orthodox funeral hymn sung to a Russian arrangement. The traditional one you hear at any Russian funerals. Phillipos picked the hymns and he raised Greek Orthodox and is closely related to the Russian imperial family. It is entitled With the Souls of The Blessed Give Rest to Thy Servant.

Wow that picture at r148. They both look completely devastated. I've never seen either of them look so sad.

Have we found out more about the choir boys?

Posters were asking about Charles' flushed face and swollen fingers. I'm pretty sure it's psoriatic arthritis. One of the symptoms is swollen digits. My friend's father who's 80 has it and his fingers look like the PoW's. I really don't think Charles is a heavy drinker. The flushed face could be rosacea.

R137, please find the other choir twinks.

Charles's parents were both very light drinkers, and so were three of his grandparents. Only his grandmother drank enough to get booze face, and only much later in her life. Genetically, it would be surprising if he had the booze gene.

I missed the the ceremony and I'm just relying on DL reports and Daily Mail pictures. I can't find a single one of the Brooksbanks. I know they attended since her massive ass has been reported on. She really did gain quite a lot of weight. The poor thing's face was so swollen in the pictures with the new baby.

About the choir.

WIth you on Anne, R145. I'm calling today's outfit her Edward Gorey/P.L. Travers-as-Illustrated-by-Mary-Shepard look. In its retro way it's as stylish and elegant as Kate's duds today, in a way the conventional wouldn't perceive.

If I know Anne this morning she was down the corridor where they keep the muddy boots saying

Fuck! Fuck! Bugger it! Fuck! Bloody, bollocky.. Fuck! Ah! Ah ha! Good enough. Capitol! Still fits.

The reliable Yorkies put out their usual criminal fashion style at Philip's sendoff. I believe Huge's double wide coat was a $5000 custom one. I know new mothers are busy but her two-toned uncut flowing hair looked like Estelle's down the Piggly Wiggly. The veil on the Grand Ol Opry type hat was waving upwards instead of toward the face. A whole mess.

Marginally more pulled together, Begelestrude sported a 1950s pony tail with a dowdy hat! I thought the English had instinctive millinery proclivity, but not here. Sausage arms and pasty white legs with no stockings sticking out and holding on to the little Italian for dear life

Nancy made a fool of herself, per usual. Such a grief junkie. Is she back on the pills?

[quote] I believe Huge's double wide coat was a $5000 custom one.

Quite a bargain, in that size.

The way Kate reacted to Harry and playing peace maker to get him to William makes me now completely call BS on Meghan's claims that Kate made her cry.

^The resounding "NO" came from his date's parents, because the girl had homework for school.

Poor Hawry. Had to sit aaallll arrone and no juice box. Moi so sad so sowry, Hawry so ronery!

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Oh, for fuck sake. Maybe Harry is a shithead, but they all need to get off their high horses.

Lady C said many videos ago that Andrew was very close to Harry and was the first person in the family he introduced Meghan to, and Fergie also then became very friendly with Meghan.

Andrew's house was where Harry chose to introduce Meghan to the Queen.

I was surprised by how moving the funeral was. The death of a 99-year-old is by no means tragic, but you could see how bereft his family looked and how much he meant to them. I suppose it was a reminder of how COVID has touched so many areas of our lives. So sad for all the people who haven't even been able to hug their own family members at funerals over the last year.

The Queen sitting there by herself looking towards the other mourners probably thought at least once, "You're all a fucking disappointment except maybe for Anne."

They were modeling pandemic safe behavior for whom? The Brits are over it. Every single one of those royals could have had a few Covid checks over these days and they have all been vaccinated. No need to run up and kiss the queen but the masking was silly and may be signaling that the royals do NOT do intimacy and family contact. Few of the attendant military people were wearing masks. Because they were all tested.

R174

Sophie was giving MeAgain the look of death at their last appearance in the UK a year ago. After that interview and the impact it had on Philip's heath, I am sure cold fury is the most polite reaction she can muster.

R182 Because the royals must be seen to follow the rules established by the government. If they ignored the restrictions while thousands of others who lost loved ones were restricted (as they have been over the past year) it would be the end of the monarchy in a second.

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I don’t have any use for anyone in the royal family. I think it’s stupid that there are rituals and protocol that demand you bow down to someone just because of whose womb they came out of. It’s silly.

[quote]Tom Lilburn is gorgeous. He caught my eye.

R137 and R161 are fucking HIIIIIIIIIIIIGH.

R187 Then why do you keep posting in this thread?

I didn’t notice during the funeral that at the end - as the bagpipe was playing - the coffin was gradually disappearing from sight into the vault below. Sobering.

R186’s panties are in quite a bunch.

[quote] Actually, [R132], I suspect that Anne couldn’t care less. If she could care less, then she cares.

R143, it’s Anne Could care [bold]FEWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/bold]

Precisely to remind people, r187!

Oops r189^.

[quote] while Anne appears to have accepted a new position at Hogwarts as head of Gryffindor house

Honey, she was burying her adored father.

May I just make a prediction here?

Not one of these children is going to host a television program and start each segment with.....

I loved the way Anne looked. Brutal. She did look like a suffragette.

Could care FEWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!? Are you retarded? We have a thread for that.

Glad to see the papers mostly focusing on the Queen & Philip rather than William & Harry

^That's what tomorrow is for.

It doesn't really matter anymore whether Harry regrets anything or not. It's all over for him with the family, no matter what he wants OR what they want.

It's nice for the Queen that the brothers spoke, because that is what she wanted on the day of her husband's funeral.

But, let's say that Harry and William got on brilliantly today, and that Kate's peacemaking was really successful. It still doesn't matter, in essence, because Harry can never be trusted again, and so Harry will never be someone they relax around again. Even after he and Meghan divorce (which won't happen until after he inherits from the Queen Mother at the age of 40), when he will return seeking understanding and sympathy, he'll get some of both, but he'll never get trust again. There won't be any fun weekends away shooting, no raucous evenings out with his old friend set either, since they are all friends with at least one other member of the family and will be terrified of saying anything that might get repeated among Harry's new set of "Friends" from California. They'll be nice to him, no doubt, but he will never be close to any of them ever again. Everyone he sees when he's back in GB will be on their guard.

It's over for Harry, regrets or not.

Elizabeth wore heels at her father’s funeral, so there is precedent.

So did her mom, r202!

R187 A little romance and pageantry to life. That’s what the monarchy brings. Same as Hollywood. Or any art, literature or music really. What’s wrong with that?

Fugenie still looks pregnant. Kate seems to have had an upper eyelid lift to get rid of those nasty hoods. Good move.

Agree, R202.

The leaked phone calls were the death knell.

oops, R201

[quote] I think it’s stupid that there are rituals and protocol that demand you bow down to someone just because of whose womb they came out of.

LOL. Demand? No one demands it. And if you choose not to conform to protocol, you won't be drawn and quartered or even shot. You're too ludicrous.

[quote] How one-dimensional and short-sighted compared to the great panorama of history, the great roll-call of duty and sacrifice before us in Windsor.

Mary!

Queen Mary R209!

R210 for the win!

That clip has hysterical R196; at some point I had to shut it off because hearing that bleached blonde troll say "MY FATHER" over and over again just got on my nerves.

It was a lovely, dignified send off and while as another commented noted, while the death of a 99 year old is not a tragedy, it was still a poignant service and everyone behaved themselves.

For as much as they make fun of them & give them a hard time, the Brits seems to have tremendous affection for QEII and will be devastated when she's gone. Whether the next generation can carry the torch is another story. As much as Harry & Andrew are assholes, they are also lost souls that will be cast into the wilderness when QEII is gone & I don't know they'll survive. I like Anne's "no fuck's to give attitude", but she raised two (seemingly) nice kids, so I guess she's got something figured out.

These threads are fun & I'm glad we can dish about the BRF instead of bemoaning the latest fuckery of The Fat Ass Who Cannot Be Named

For R167

Pictures of Eugenie and Beatrice and their husbands at the funeral.

Why should Anne or Sophie have chatted up Harry after the funeral? He’s nothing to them.

William and Catherine had to, because the Queen (or Charles) probably requested it. She/they wouldn’t have asked that of anyone else, I don’t think.

It’s very nice they did speak, even if it was just a photo op.

It was a beautiful funeral. Even though I have no reason to mourn Prince Philip, I watched and thought it was a beautiful send-off.

Lord Guildford Dudley, husband of Lady Jane Grey, who ruled as Queen for nine days, acted as king and conducted government business without Jane being present. King Guilford. Also erased.

R214, ummm that’s their nephew?

R216, Jane Grey is counted as a monarch only by fools. She was a mere dupe and was sacrificed, with her husband, by her father and family in a short attempt at a coup.

Your claim to erasure makes as much sense as saying that the Q Shaman was President because he participated in a clown-mob's attempt to shut down election certification as some at the Capitol wanted to kill the three people in the line of presidential succession.

William and Kate have never looked more like a King and Queen than they did today. They really are the future of the monarchy. Charles will reign, but his reign will simply be a bridge to the next phase of the BRF. The Cambridges will be immensely popular when they transition into being the Wales.

Laying it on thick R219.

Does anyone know who exactly the magic 30 mourners were? I didn't see the whole event, but there were no Kents or Gloucesters that I could tell. There were no Mountbattens or Knatchbulls or Hicks. There were three nephews from Germany. My rough count came to 23 people.

The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra (of Kent) were all there.

As were members of Philip's family.

Meghan and Harry will enjoy a flutter of publicity when the baby is born. After that, they're really going to have to do some work if they want to maintain their fame. I'm betting they flail about for a couple of years and Meghan divorces him to squeeze the last bit of juice from the relationship. She'll dump him and move on to a talk show or something.

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^^^^ BurmA ^^^^

that's sad but maybe that's what she wants, independence and queen of her own castle.

Go away, R187. Sophomoric.

I missed this. I read on Twitter the queen said she was happy she wouldn't have to deal with any more dutch ovens. Is that true?

Will the Sussex wreathe be on Meghan's Mirror?

Oh dear. Wreath

r220 it's not thick, I thought much the same. Especially Catherine, she looked calm, beautiful and positively regal. They also handled Harry's presence very smoothly and diplomatically, when that could have been a disaster in the hands of lesser people. These two are now the mainstay cornerstones of the monarchy, no question.

I didn't watch CBS's coverage.....who was Gayle "special" guest that she kept mentioning this week? Somehow I think I will be underwhelmed by the answer

I agree with R231 and R219 they will both make terrific monarchs.

At first, I saw the Duchess of Cambridge's (DoC) 4 strand pearl necklace as just a tad too much, but no.

"Impeccable" is the word a previous poster put it to describe how the DoC looked, and that's the perfect word.

Her choices of jewelry, head ornament ( it ain't a "hat") the subtle veil, and mostly the beautiful black garments she chose; all astoundingly perfect.

What makes the coat truly impressive is its length. The DoC is, obviously, tall and that length; the slightly lower than mid-calf hit accentuates her height.

And yes, pantyhose and undergarments are a bitch to wear.

But observe how the DoC black hose give her look that polish and completeness that no other accessory can achieve. There is no substitute, no replacing, how an undergarment and stockings/ pantyhose dictates the drape and polish of attire.

When I look at the photos in R213, I see a future with Huge as a Weight Watchers spokespiggy... sort of keep it in the family and a couple million quid never hurt.

Beatrice and her husband both seem to have... big eyes. A child will surely look like Gollum.

But I imagine, looking at his sister in law, Edo couldn't get it up for another million in the will. If Huge has gone Hindenburg, imagine where the weight settles on Bettleguese.

Della, one thing Kate is known for is having her clothes altered. That's why she looks as good off the rack as in bespoke... nothing goes on her as fitted. Plus she's tall, slim and I think as plugged in, shrewd and possibly ruthless as the Queen Mother.

[quote]Meghan and Harry will milk a flood of publicity when the baby is born.

Fixed that for ya. Remembering, assuming all goes well, the child will have a lot of various body parts to release Insta by Insta. Two hands (ten fingers if you go one by one, well, eight probably best... even babies don't look well flipping the bird), two feet (see previous), two eyes and ears, a mouth (lower lip, upper lip)... close up, medium, long shot, out of focus, black and white, looking toward the sea, swaddled in contracts... well, you follow.

Agreed r236.

The pearls were on loan from Q E II's collection. I detect subtle signaling there...

If I were those two, I'd be bracing for Monday.

The funeral is over, Hazbeen is jetting home, the gloves will be off at the Maul.

Agreed, Della... total signal. Bit surprised in the middle of all this someone thought to send a signal but then again maybe any subtle distraction from the Wales boys subtext was worth it. Someone else theorized Angela Kelly may have suggested it and, given her that woman treatment by the returning Harry, maybe she did channel her inner Miss O'Brien.

Yet another thing they never understood: handling the servant problem.

R235, Eug tends to gain a lot of weight easily and also seems to struggle losing the excessive kilos whereas Bea, despite also prone to gaining weight, seems to be blessed as to being able to maintaining a certain weight better than her younger sister.

Eug is prettier than Bumbling Bea.

Did anyone catch all the castle staff standing outside in a row, like a ep of Downton Abbey?

I don't understand the posters who say that Eugenie is still close with Harry and Meghan. How can she trust Meghan as a friend after she showed up at Eug's wedding doing the maternity coat stunt? But maybe it's true; just wondering.

They may be close with Harry, still, and playing a long game with Meghan? The York girls are reputed to be very, very nice people. Still, I struggle to understand how any of them relate to him now. Not saying they can't... but when you think about what Harry and his wife did, what they said, when they said it, the people it affected... how do you get past that in a family that is entirely capable of distinguishing between the family circle and the family business? And even if you factor out the family business, what they did to the family business is a big ask to forgive.

^Thank you. Good response. Maybe they are playing a a long. game with H&M. Maybe they, too, will move to CA at some point.

Why would they? For all four family is in the UK or Europe. Let's be honest, the York girls have no particular skills or talents... they are reliant on their inheritances and their husbands' work. Why up stakes and move to California to do what? They haven't exactly got a lot of star power.

They've both got a lovely set of knockers, maybe they could do Playboy?

As an aside, can these Royals blackmail the Palace, like, give me 100k or I'm going to do a porno? Give me this cottage or I'll flash my cock at Ascot?

^ LOL... it may come to that.

This image of Philip's personal effects in his horse and carriage was sad.

I was surprised at how many small touches like that there were.. it seemed very family funeral, which just isn't how they do they things typically.

r235 I suspect we won't have too long to wait to find out the answer to that as I have a feeling Beatrice is pregnant..

Does anyone happen to know what the jar with the red lid is in R249?

It was his container for sugar cubes for the horses, R252.

The seating arrangements in St George's Chapel for the 3 guests.

It doesn't look like the Queen was wearing any makeup. I've never seen the dark circles under her eyes so pronounced.

Harry used to make fun of William going bald. Karma is a bitch!

William gave Kate a supportive pat on the back as they left the chapel.

The photos are blurry but here is Kate consoling Prince Charles.

I was genuinely saddened when the cameras focused on the Queen as she sat with her head bowed, her hat offering her some privacy in her moments of grief.

We Americans like to pretend that this is all BS, and pomp, however, when one stops to think about it, one realizes that even here in America, we grew up with this monarchy and they have been a part of our cultures nays we may not account for and steadily so.

My mother is a huge BRF Stan. She has dozens upon dozens of books and together, we have watched every wedding a d funeral that has been televised, including yesterday’s.

May the dear Prince RIP, & may the Queen find solace and comfort in her family, as her last days should be made peaceful and free of pride, ego, and in-family bickering or turmoil.

Every single one of the members of this family are responsible for carrying such sentiments out, Royal staff and advisers INCLUDED.

RIP, dear man. And hugs to the Queen & her family in the UK and the US, from across the pond. 😘

R258, Catherine and Sophie have been strong additions to the family and seem to be teaching their children strong family values. Meghan is, as Philip said, "destructive." The contrast between the married ins who were there and the one merchng flowers could not have been more stark.

The born in merching her expensive coat and handbag also bears watching.

Kate showed diginity and will be excellent in her future roles

R260, why do you promote the idea of strong family values within this family, yet promote petty divisiveness within certain branches of the same family?

Don’t you recognize that by doing so, you are espousing values that are antithetical, to the very values you claim to originally hold paramount?

Honestly, it makes zero sense to the rest of us outside of of the UK, as we stand on the outside, looking in. These people are public figures who are most definitely entitled to private lives, including exercising individual autonomy. It’s crude and even sick, to editorialize the marriages of strangers, and here in the states, we call that flat out stalking.

So gross that even a death in this beloved family cannot offer a brief respite from the vulgarity of vitriolic chatter from the general public regarding members of this clan.

Have some dignity and restraint. This is over the top pathology and even scary AF.

It would seem the Yorks need to keep a foot in both doors--the future main royals can bestow lots of financial favors; the California royals can help them maintain an international jet-set life. One of the York girls was at the Kushner-Kloss wedding. They'll be wherever the free champagne is, I imagine.

I'm partial to Bea's odd, bug-eyed looks, but she did look ridiculous yesterday with her bare legs and stilettos that she couldn't walk in without grabbing a hold of her husband. As awful as Melania Trump is: she's an Eastern European and knows how to make walking in stilettos look effortless.

R216, Guilford was never king. I made it clear to him that I would not create him king-consort, but that I would accept it if parliament did. I offered to make him a duke. He was very annoyed and his mother became abusive to me. But I was queen and ignored their responses.

Tbh, I think Bea is up the duff.

I think Markle, for all of her self-possession and confidence, was plain-old, flat-out, cowed, intimidated and insecure within the set and family of the BRF, especially among the women.

And that's not a knock on Markle.

Some of the most famous, intelligent, and seemingly confident people, the Obamas included, have expressed how unsure they were when meeting the Royals. Imagine then, how it was , in private, to have to find a place?

Look at the Middleton women. They climbed, too, and in that respect, are no different then Markle. Both set their caps in William and Harry. Both Got. Their. Man. Good for them. Nothing succeeds like success.

And, while the Duchess of Cambridge may have "married up", it was William that got the better of the deal. He's lucky to have her.

Still, there are vast differences between the Middleton women and Markle and what they all started out with when it came to finding a place within the BRF- the Middletons are a close, financially wealthy family. They were conditioned to a place in that world.

Otoh, and I take no pleasure in being unkind here, but in the universe I'm talking about, the characterization is apt- compared to the Middletons, the Markles are carnys.

Markle simply had no idea, no socialization, to prepare her for trying to fit-in with the BRF. Again, that's not a knock on her. I think she's been far, far too vilified in proportion to what the Sussexes are in the grand scheme of things. And to her haters, among some of them, her being bi-racial IS a factor in their hate.

Still, Prince Harry and Markle should not have married.

In the letters famously sung by Tammy Wynette, I see a D. I.V.O.R.C.E coming around the PCH bend.

R262... top marks for the stealth approach.. usually your kind just yells Klan Grannies.

Della, to your point, you could almost feel sorry for her because you're right... but her evident unwillingness or inability to try speaks for itself. And there's no chance her meteoric implementation of Plan B was a result.

More to the point, though, if it was Princess Anne who was actually talking about culture, she was right. This woman from an unstable family background, from an alien national culture, from a hustle-driven career, had no skills or tool to be a viable member of this institution - if she ever really intended to be.

That question I don't think we'll ever get an honest answer to.

Points well taken, r268.

Ahem, R154.

Oh for fuck sake, R178, fuck off. Harry can go blow it out his bottom.

R266 overlooks that principle difference between Middleton and Markle; Middleton was born/raised in England, understands the culture and is comfortable with it, wanted nothing more in life than to marry the heir, spent 10 years auditioning for the job. And has done a splendid job representing the Queen and The Firm.

Markle wanted a rung up the fame/fortune ladder, thought that she'd found the perfect mark for her scheme in Harry. What she was completely unprepared for was a foreign culture/mentality, and especially people who would not be bullied into submission. Markle went in planning to grift whatever she could and get out. Her scheme was obvious at the Engagement interview; her domineering and controlling the proceedings. And it went down hill from there; increased grumbling, tantrums, demands, imperiousness, until she realized that her behavior and schemes would not advance her plans; ergo, the famous "this isn't working for me" declaration.

Markle thought that lobbing barbs and bombs from California would intimidate, accomplish what she failed to do in England. But that's not working either, is creating a heightened sense of animosity rather than the sympathy (and huge monetary payout) she gambled on. And people are increasingly disgusted of her whingeing and bitching, realize it's all been a con, that she's not only a liar, but a mentally disturbed one as well.

And what's next? As Markle's options diminish, she will become increasingly desperate to get out and get out LARGE. Some poster posted wisdom that in the not-too-distant future, Markle will sue Harry for divorce citing abuse. Probably the best and only money-spinner she has left.

I posted this before and I'll post it again, Markle the pathological narcissist will not go down alone. She will lash out, take those nearest with her. If I were Harry, I'd get those kids as far away from her as possible.

[quote] her being bi-racial IS a factor in their hate.

Uh, no Della. THIS is the sole factor in their disgust. The deplorable, self-aggrandizing, self-absorbed behavior and actions of a narcissist.

More lovely family photos from Balmoral. Something Archie and his sister have been deprived of. Moremoremore is the motto of the Duch of Woke and her endless grasping has left them with little. The more they act out, lie, scheme, show their true colors, the less anyone of any note will associate with them. They are vindictive, unstable and litigious.

Sophie was a great choice, it is obvious why the Queen is so fond of her.

Archie would have been in one set of Balmoral photos but they holidayed with Elton John instead.

I think there may be a reality tv show before the divorce.

For those of you who like royal jewels, here are a few ladies at the funeral yesterday. Lady Sarah Chatto is the last photo. I barely saw her there. She looks teary eyed.

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The reason why Brits didn't take to Meghan ultimately came down to her "Americanism" and not her racial background. I am an American by birth but have lived in the UK for the last fifteen years. I think Americans who move abroad are ultimately shocked at how disliked we are. American culture often comes off as "me obsessed," arrogant, and overly focused on work and wealth accumulation and that doesn't play well here. When you move to another country, if you want to fit in and feel welcomed you do have to try to adapt to the culture you're living in. That doesn't mean abandoning who you are, but it's like going to a dinner party: you don't tell the host "this is not how I would have done things in my house and therefore you are wrong." Meghan never made any attempt to adapt to life in the royal family and Harry's royal engagements because about them and not the organization or cause they were helping to support. Though Diana was the first royal to really be open with her emotions, can you imagine if she had gone to an AIDS hospice in the late 80s and then told the camera man, no one asked me how I am feeling.

Thanks, r276. I enjoyed seeing that.

I'm not a big jewelry fan myself, either of wearing it or seeing it, but still, the Royals really have perfected, to use an oxymoron, understated bling.

Perfected? That thing the Queen wore was the size of a cocktail coaster and yet she carried it off.

Reminds me of the story of Harry streaking at his father's 50th birthday party, R277. He has always been off and a loose cannon. Think of the genes those poor kids are getting from loony Dim and mental Markle. Shudder.

[quote]Lady Sarah Chatto is the last photo. I barely saw her there. She looks teary eyed.

Lady Sarah grew up near the centre, but with her mother's death and the ticking down on the line of succession, she is way out on the margins now. That must be difficult. Philip's death just reinforces that reality and sadness.

R272 Nailed it.

It is nauseating to watch someone who had it all within their grasp, screw it up so completely. I don't see Meghan coming back from this. The Oprah interview was a childish thing to do. And she continues to dig.

Meghan is now truly adrift in the caustic under tow of public opprobrium.

Is anyone consoling Princess Margaret's grandson Arthur Chatto?

In the days to come, the Royal Family will pull together, showing concern for Harry and Meghan with only the mildest rebukes ("Recollections may vary..."). But expect Harry and Meghan to be invited to fewer and fewer family events. The Royal Family knows how to show sympathy combined with a carefully designed cold shoulder. Take a look at how the Queen Mother received the Duchess of Windsor at the Duke of Windsor's funeral. The Queen Mother hated Wallis, but you would never have known it from her behavior at the funeral. She showed only the most profound sympathy.

She referred to her as "the woman who killed my husband" I believe. As could now be said with Markle's PR campaign perhaps hastening Philip's death.

Leaking those calls means Harry will never be truly in in the family or among the aristo set in the UK or power brokers in the US. That kind of judgment is not tolerated in those circles.

How they anticipated a different result is hard to fathom. His best bet is that she moves on but who would have her now is a bit of a mystery.

The Queen is made of Teflon. Her children have attracted endless scandal, as did her sister. Her husband was a diplomatic nightmare. Her parenting skills have been publicly criticised. She was cast as a villain in the narrative of her hugely popular daughter-in-law. She was crowned in an age where the public was brought up to have great respect for the royal family, and now lives in one where the concept of a monarchy seems absurdly outdated. And yet there is still so much affection for her in the UK.

They did not kill Prince Philip. You’re all acting like he was a wilting flower. He was as tough as they come. Anyone who has read about his early life especially knows how tough he is. He was 99, he already had been hospitalized numerous times. His day came, that’s all.

I just saw the coverage of the funeral today.

Charles did not look well at all. If you see pictures of Phillip at a similar age, he looks far more robust than Charles. I really wonder whether Charles will reach the throne. Even if he does, I’d bet on it being a short reign, which puts a lot of authority in William’s hands, as people will undoubtedly look to him as he long-term future.

I was struck by some of the imagery of the procession. It was interesting that Peter Phillips was in the centre, apparently at the insistence of William. That was on the one hand a nice thing for William to do, giving Peter (good boy, never giving a minute of trouble) a bit of the spotlight, even though he can expect to move rather abruptly down the pecking order after The Queen dies. On the other hand, if could be interpreted as a bit of a power move, as it meant that on entering the church, Peter walked in line with William, and Harry was relegated to walk with Andrew as the problem children of two generations. This image, together with Kate wearing The Queen’s pearls really sends a message about who is in favour, and where power will lie. These are little things, but so often they are the ways the monarchy communicates certain things.

Edward’s daughter is blossoming, and looks like she is following in her mother’s fashion footsteps. It’s nice to see, as the poor thing was not a pretty child.

On a more superficial note, Harry’s bald spot is HUGE. I imagine Megs will get him a transplant before long.

Ah, now I’m wondering if I got the procession order right. I was sure I saw Andrew and Harry walk in line as they entered?

R289, Harry was to drop back behind Peter and the Earl of Snowden was to walk beside him, behind William. William and Peter were to walk together. Harry's antics in switching that up so as to be in the photo frame were telling.

R289, there is a LSA link on one of these threads breaking down how Harry dropped back and moved at a diagonal so as to force himself into the spot behind Willaim as they entered the church. Shades of the PoW investiture. The Earl of Snowden then had to shift back and over, with a look of confusion. For Harry to pull that kind of shit for images to monetize, at the funeral itself says that nothing will ever change. And that he and Meghan are quite similar. His carefully constructed by the Palace PR image has been shredded. He really is not much different than his wife. If it was a little test, publicizing the order for the procession ahead of time, his actions were telling. If his connection to the BRF is all he has to sell, he had to be right behind William, basic decency did not even factor in. Then they merched the funeral wreath. There really are no depths to which they will not sink in their grasping. I mean, how much does a wreath cost? And of course it could not be the same color scheme as every other wreath, better to flout that and garishly stick out. Harry and MeAgain are peas in a pod. God help those kids.

While I can understand trying to become a part of the RF would be a real challenge, if you are sincere in your desire to really belong, you have to at least TRY to fit in.

After watching the engagement interview and how she treated Harry during that interview, together with the ridiculous BIG LIE that she did not know who Prince Harry was, my conclusion was that MM had no intention of fitting in. Telling such a preposterous falsehood indicates a real contempt for those being presented with the lie. Yes, contempt. Which, IMO, is what MM feels for those stupid enough to believe the BS she spouts. (Oprah must have realized this, I would expect. After the recent interview, perhaps? Or perhaps O didn't think MM would dare to lie to the Big O.)

My opinion after the engagement interview was reinforced shortly afterward by the $75,000 engagement dress. Simple searches of online images would have resulted in a set of pictures of different RF couples at their engagement photo shoots. None of them, starting with the Queen and Philip, through all the pictures of their children and already married grandchildren, wore any style remotely like the one MM chose (paid for by who, I wonder) not to mention the cost.

Want to try to fit in? How about doing some basic, easy research to see how other members of the RF dressed for such an occasion and try to find something to your taste in the same vein.

No. MM had no intention of fitting into the RF.

So, all the "Boo Hoo. It was impossible for her to fit in because she is (1) American or (2) divorced or (3) an actress or (4) from Hollywood... or whatever." is just baloney.

She didn't try. Even from the beginning. Her comments at the first appearance at the garden party. Her bizarre behavior during the Down Under tour. Despite having been undoubtedly helped by coaches and assistants, she ignored advice.

She never intended to do the job she was signing up for. And she was, in fact, signing up for a job.

R292

Here is the LSA link with pictures.

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It’s interesting to see the future British monarchy be under so much influence of a couple of women of the British middle class. Kate and Sophie both know exactly how to play the roles expected of them. I used to expect Edward and Sophie to fade into the background after The Queen dies, but Sophie (more than Edward) seems to be a real asset, and to be well-liked by the entire family.

I’d now bet on the four Wessexes playing a prominent role at least until William’s kids reach adulthood.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

R295, I heard he was threatening an Oprah 2.0 interview during the funeral coverage. If true, jaw dropping.

Differing national cultures and family backgrounds could’ve been overcome if it were a love match, which I very much doubt it is. Had MM been an outdoorsy, simple gal who just fell in love with a not-very-bright former soldier she might’ve given living in the UK a go and paid no heed to the BRF hierarchy crap. They could be like Zara and her rugby dude, maybe even spending half their time in Africa pursuing Harry’s white savior dreams.

Sophie's demeanor towards MeMe at their last appearance and Louise's toward Harry yesterday were quite telling. Philip was hospitalized the day after the family was told of the Oprah interview. For those that loved him that will never be forgottten, nor the threats and demands that continued right up until his death.

Louise and James apparently shared interests and hobbies with the Queen and Philip and saw them often. It is clear why the Queen trusts Sophie and Catherine. MeGain in all her placed PR simply makes both women look better and better.

She kept her entire US team, R299. She never intended to stay. It was come in, build her brand of "shaking things up" and being disruptive and bounce.

Thanks so much r294. Gotta love the bitches at LSA, the bring in the goods every time lol. Perfect and clear breakdown of Haz's funeral moves. He really is such a pill.

[quote]I imagine Megs will get him a transplant before long.

Tattoo. Property of Meghan Markle.

[quote]there is a LSA link on one of these threads breaking down how Harry dropped back and moved at a diagonal so as to force himself into the spot behind Willaim as they entered the church.

And [italic]we're[/italic] the obsessives?

You people are part of the problem. Everyone is fawning over my sister-in-law, but no one has asked me if I'm okay.

One of the more poignant moments of the day and a great shot. At 22:13, the backshot of Sophie arm-in-arm with her two grief-stricken children, bowing in unison before the coffin of their grandfather as it passes.

I saw this shot live on the BBC feed yesterday and was really moved. Dignity and class.

R304, But you’re not okay Blanche! You’re not okay!

^ LOL... hadn't thought of it that way but now you point out, asking she's OK is redundant.

R292, R294 What a little bitch Harry is. This was as bad as the Commonwealth Day service last year when Hairy and the Green Goblin ran and practically climbed over the seats to make sure they were behind the Cambridges at the expense of the Wessexes.

R288 I am not accusing Harry and Meghan of killing Prince Philip however we now know the family knew (including Harry) that Philip was dying. Rather than doing anything to stop the interview, they doubled down and leaked stories that Meghan felt the royals were using Philip as a shield and then later Harry allegedly promised to continue leaking family conversations. And on the day of his grandfather's funeral Meghan leaked stories about a fucking wreath and Harry pushed his cousin (Margaret's son) so he could be in the same camera frame as William. That to me is enough to prove that H&M are both despicable and sad. So often Meghan gets pegged with having manipulated Harry, no I think she just fully brought out the vile that was already there. It might not be apparent right this second for them as they continue to ride high in the American sphere, but the history books get written on this era, they will not be portrayed in a positive light. It will be look worse, I think, than the Panorama interview.

I also want to praise Buckingham Palace PR who must have worked day and night to cultivate Harry's image as a dutiful but fun loving Prince that made him the most popular member of the royal family for a period and keeping the lid on the total petulant little shit he actually is.

Agree, R309, but don't forget the campaign of threats almost up to the day Philip died.

Or this, R309.

Look, I am totally team anybody by Griftess and the Dupe of $u$$ex, but I have a hard time believing he was two-stepping his way into frame - especially behind William, of all people. That's the last person you'd think he'd want to appear deferential to and, be honest, of course cameras would be trained on him given the shit he's pulled.

He had to have hugely ambivalent emotions once back home and away from corrosive influences. Seeing his grandfather's coffin, seeing all his relations, knowing what's really gone down... I imagine he was a churn of conflicting emotions inside as well as being aware that literally putting one foot wrong would be international news.

Which is a very long way of saying when they reordered to enter the Chapel I could see him just as easily falling into the wrong place in the sequence.

And it pains me to say it because I think Meghan Markle was the worst thing to happen to the Royal Family - including Wallis Simpson and the abdication.

The enormous gap between PR image and reality being exposed reminds me of Tom Cruise dumping his PR and jumping on Oprah's couch.

Harry is just as bad as his wife. Always has been. Now we all know.

bear in mind, and while it in no way excuses the vile actions of Meghan and Harry, Prince Philip was likely in a state of advanced dementia for the past year or two ... and likely was not cognizant of much more than than getting through each day with assistance for every minutia of activity. While some 99 year olds are of clear mind, most are not.

As such TQ and Charles would have to have been bearing the brunt of guilt and pressure of the Harkles self serving actions; and most likely Charles primarily as the parent ...

It was not easy, R312, he deliberately pushed his way into that spot, look at the photos in the LSA link. The order had been set and had he kept moving forward, he would have been in the right spot. He has pulled this mulitple times in the past, think of the Commonwealth celebration, the PoW event, etc. It was quite deliberate and beyond disrespectful. You can see the disbelief on Lord Snowdon's face as Harry angles over and steps in front of him AS THEY ARE ENTERING THE CHURCH. I wondered why those details were published, but, again Harry showed his true colors. Philip called Meghan "destrubctive" her husband is just as disruptive. No contrition, no appropriate pressed clothing, it did not even match. Everyone else showed respect and grief, Harry just showed his agenda. He is a nasty piece of work.

R312, the person Meghan was emulating in dress and hairstyle in the Oprah interveiw was Wallis herself and she has done it on multiple occasions. What do you make of that?

[quote]Prince Philip was likely in a state of advanced dementia for the past year or two ...

That is idiotic. He was seen often enough in the last two years that he was not in a state of advanced dementia. Stop making shit up. The facts are interesting enough without being an internet person.

I actually thought Philip would come out of the hospital alive & would be relatively OK. I didn't think he would die from that event that got him hospitalized. Yes, he was very old, but he survived that car crash.

Last seen July, 2020... walking through a door... alone. Hardly advanced dementia.

Here's video... obviously someone in the middle of two years of advanced dementia...

I'm having a hard time understanding what Harry did wrong in the link at R294. Obviously, he ended up in a position he wasn't meant to be in, but didn't he just switch sides rather than move up in the order of procession?

R312 & R321 Watch the funeral on YouTube. Harry all but shoves the Earl of Snowdon out of the way to take the spot behind William. It's very clear because Harry began the climb up the stairs into St. George's behind Peter Phillips but then suddenly b-lines behind William getting to the Earl's personal space. The Earl looking PISSED hesitantly moved behind Peter. And it forces the family member behind the Earl and Harry to have to stop their climb for a moment.

I will check it out. I curse myself for having giving that dolt the benefit of the doubt.

Are the Lip Stick Alley types DLers straddling both or Lip Stick Alley types straddling both? Because there's a new intensity of stupid in some posts that's really stinking up the joint.

I think the funeral was an example of just how not royal Meghan is and how the family will go on despite her best efforts. From the seating arrangements to the morning suits, it all shows just how fringe Harry has become and how non existent Meghan is. Kate and William looking so regal, Kate comforting Charles, Kate talking to Harry, Kate in the Queen's pearls looking iconic in that B&W shot...drip, drip, drip, drip. Meghan really feels irrelevant and the complete outsider that she is. Gayle and Oprah are just trash when compared to the beautiful, dignified ceremony of yesterday. All the mansions in Montecito, the Hermes bags, the caring compassion doesn't disguise class from trash. It never has and it never will.

Meghan failed for a lot of reasons by hear own hands, but the one thing the Middleton sisters have that Meghan never would was the inherent knowledge of being British. Clearly Americans are not meant to be in the BRF and something tells me Meghan might be the first and last modern WOC in that family for some time. The Queen and her family were absolutely traumatized by her uncle's abdication and I think William will be on high alert for women like Meghan entering the family. In the UK, no means no. In LA, no is a jumping off point to start negotiations. There is also the idea that in American, one can rise above the ranks with enough hard work. That's not the case in the BRF and even in the class system of British culture.

I went from being a huge Meghan advocate in the beginning to a fan of her devious exploits during Megxit to thinking she is she pure trash. She is that woman who makes everyone's life difficult in the office, she is the woman that will try to take your position, she is the woman who cries racism to advance her own agenda. She's a divisive cunt. The ultimate "nasty woman" and most of us, man, woman, or tranny, has met one of them in their life.

Smirkle refused to be a team player even when it came to something as minor as color coordinating in family photos. Louis' christening everyone is in blue/white except the destructive one who is in some drab beige. Same in that photo where Camilla is blocking her from Charlotte, everyone in blue except her.

Of course the Oprah interview didn't hasten Philip's death. He was 99 and had recently had heart surgery. What it probably did do, though, was add to the stress the Queen and the rest of the family were already experiencing as they prepared for his death.

To be so incredibly disrepectful as they are entering the church for Philip's funeral, just to be in the same photo frame as William is astonishing behavior, but, he has done things like this repeatedly.

He did not even get a haircut, wear matching clothes or get his clothes pressed. He was not repentant or even there to appear to be a team player. William and Catherine made nice for the cameras but the rest of the family were coldly furious at the stress he had put Philip and the Queen under in his final weeks. Even young Lady Louise.

To the contrary, R327, Philip was hospitalized the day after the family was told of the Oprah interview taking place. Check the dates, it cannot be argued away. And they continued to make threats and demands until his death. No one can plausibly deny that the INTENTION was not to inflict stress. Despite claiming that he "had a jet on standbye" it is also indisputable that Harry did not visit Philip before his death.

And he was up to his disruptive antics again yesterday, a low even Andrew did not sink to at Philip's funeral.

The heart surgery was after his hospitalization, R327.

The family was informed of the Oprah interview the day of the original recording. Philip was hospitalized the next afternoon.

It is certainly possible that without the interview and the "pressure tactics" since that Philip might have made it to his 100th in June. The cruelty and avarice in wrenching the family's attention to their threats over the weeks before his death and smearing most of them as "racists" to the global media will never be forgotten.

Meghan even tried to spin his illness and pleas for decency as an attempt to rob the Little Mermaid of her voice! Again!

These people redefine the word loathesome. They deserve each other. One does fear for the children and the pets.

Markle fucked up with her overconfidence, her obvious adherence to “fake it ‘til you make it”. I believe that if she’d shown some humility and acknowledgement at what a huge job she’d signed up for, she might have won some people over. I think, when you make a genuine faux pas, you apologize and acknowledge it.

We can all relate to that. “Oh my gosh, I’m awfully sorry I did that. Won’t happen again” goes a long way. Instead she was defiant.

[quote]Clearly Americans are not meant to be in the BRF and something tells me Meghan might be the first and last modern WOC in that family for some time.

I don't think that's necessarily true (and nothing delights me more than being a snob about Americans.) Meghan Markle's character would be a failure in any nationality. You take on the job, it doesn't take on you. Anyway, was she even there in good faith? She wound up in California awfully quickly for all this to have gone unexpectedly wrong.

Via a friend of Meghan (Meghan Markle), on her timing of the interview while Philip was in the hospital, full quote"

[quote] Speaking to the Mail Online, they said: “Meghan said she has absolutely no regrets about what was said during the interview and that speaking with Oprah was both cathartic and transformative - the best decision she ever made, other than marrying Harry.

[quote] "Meghan said the royal institution should be relieved that she didn't name names or go into even more details of what went on behind closed doors.

[quote] "Meghan said waiting to share her story with the entire world seemed like an eternity and that she couldn't be happier with the end result.

[quote] “She said she's moved on, but is open to communicating with anyone from the Royal Family who wants to engage in a constructive conversation."

She kept a team of 4 on retainer in CA the whole time, quite telling, R331.

It is clear that the family has no intentions of interacting with her directly and it is driving her crazy. That and biz opportunities only having an interest in Harry must be hard on a narc.

Did Philip choose his wife wisely, do you think? Did the Queen choose her husband wisely? Were they well-matched? Was she advised for or against the marriage by her elders/advisers?

What makes a good marriage?

R267, who or what exactly denotes my “kind”?

I can assure you, I’m very much a friendly sort, who has had the pleasure of making plenty of friends from the UK, & have been liked by them all, as much as I’ve liked them.

I do not understand what all the fuss is about regarding Meghan. If I thought she were a malicious person or not able to appreciate her circumstances, due to a malevolent belligerence, I would have stated so long ago.

I genuinely believe this was a cultural obstacle, not one rooted in malice. And I would hope that these issues can eventually be set aside so that Archie and his upcoming, younger sibling may meet their family back in the UK, and not grow up as strangers to one another.

Kate’s conduct at the funeral (comforting Charles and trying to get William and Harry to talk) makes me even more certain that the whole story of her accepting the blame for making Meg cry and apologising is a clear case of “recollections may vary”. I can totally imagine the two of them having a falling out and Kate (even if she was in the right) deciding to try to make sure there were no hard feelings and sending a peace offering.

Most families have at least one peacemaker and I would bet Kate plays that role.

Re: r332: Let’s keep in mind that those words are coming from an unnamed source and they’re not direct quotes, so they’re not what Meghan actually said.

(Looking at the reporting the way our resident “Meghan hasn’t said ANYTHING to the media” troll does. We can’t trust those quotes.)

The story was that she hand delivered flowers, R337 and Markle shut the door in her face.

You can see Harry does not truly value his family or relationships, only what he can get from them and he married someone with the same lack of family values. Her cruelty to Catherine and to toddler Charlotte was before she even had a ring. It was the only wedding out of the 4 the children were in that year where Willam and Catherine were careful and strategic to keep them with them at all times.

R339, but how do any of us know these things to be true?

Genuinely asking. Those details are much too granular for the general public, in my estimation.

I love the Japanese pearl choker the Queen lent to Kate for the funeral.

Kate's so ugly they made her wear a mask at the funeral!

The story was told in the photo of Harry making *monkey shines* at Princess Anne. You can almost here the crackling of the ice. He has frosted her balls.

The family is done with Hazbean.

‘As far as the others are concerned, there is a deep sense of protection towards the Queen and resentment towards Harry. There is little sympathy for him after what he and Meghan said on Oprah.’

Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie failed to acknowledge Harry before or during yesterday’s service.

‘They are still very upset,’ the source added. ‘They are putting on a united front for the Queen. They all think he has behaved appallingly.’

Hard to disagree. And since he could not even show up in pressed clothes, groomed and stand where he wa told, after all he has done, not even that minimal of an effort, doubt their position will change from protective of the Queen and protective of the Firm.

One could almost believe MeMe was hired so as to burnish the image of the Duchess of Cambridge.

After the past few months, it sure seems plausible that the Rose rumors really did originate with one of her stans on social media, no? They are malicious, vindictive and pathologically jealous. They also seem somewhat unmoored from reality in the way they keep digging the hole deeper. Shame about the isolation and social shunning they have brought on themselves, it does not seem to be benefiting their mental health nor judgement. For all they pay Sunshine Sucks it is clear they do not take any advice from them either. Who the hell merches a FUNERAL WREATH?!!! I mean, surely even the Suckses can afford THAT!

[quote]Those delightful troublemakers at the Daily Maul have labelled the story about the flasher outside the funeral as WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Indeed it was! I was a bit disappointed that they didn't let the old girl run amuck a bit longer - maybe if she'd had a face mask on. You can also tell from the crowd it looks a bit cold and there she is - no spring chicken - running around with her gunt & her tits hanging out. You have to admire her enthusiasm at the very least!

From the link at R344

According to one report, William requested that Peter Phillips stand between him and Harry during the funeral cortege.

Asked about the claim, a friend of Harry said: ‘He’s just doing what he’s told and getting on with it.’

Shame he could not even manage THAT.

William will be King and Harry wil continue to be a disappointment, embrassment and mental. It cannot be put down to Diana's death, Philip and Willaim both lost their mother when young. Harry is warped with greed and malice, he really found his level with MeMeMe.

Queen’s first PM was Sir Winston, she had 10 years of weekly meetings with Maggie. She survived both. Comparing MM to these two giants in British politics gives a hint HM is able to handle MM with her little finger. She is 94 looks tiny fragile and now widow. People adore her like they adored Queen Mother. The longer the LA couple keeps fighting the more they will lose.

Which photo is that r343?

Here's where I first saw it, r343. It has been posted several times. I'm not a denizen of LSA, but they seem to have things shared here.

All the speculation here is disgusting, Meaghan and Harry did nothing wrong, it was their perception, like it or not. My hope is that Harry and Will had a chance to sit and talk either before or after the funeral and make things better.

Two main differences between Kate and Meghan: 1) Kate is genuine, caring, compassionate and empathetic. Meghan does not have this chip. She just doesn't. 2) Kate has class and manners. Meghan does not have this chip. She just doesn't.

I think Eugenie and Zara both looked lovely yesterday. Anyone dragging either of them for being fat is a rude cunt and probably hates their own mother.

Here's the BBC's highlights of yesterday condensed into less than five minutes:

[quote]Anderson Cooper narrating this particular event is less than ideal.

Glomming onto the Windsors is something of a family trait, no?

If Andrew was freeballing at his father's funeral, which he appears to be in several of the procession photos, that is not polite and embarrassing! Even Jon Hamm would probably put on underwear for a royal funeral.

Harry must be home by now. No photos? M's slipping.

[quote]If Andrew was freeballing at his father's funeral

If I recall (and I refuse to google it), he's done that before. How pervy!

The article above is dated today and said Harry is leaving tomorrow. We'll probably get a 'welcome home' photo on social media tomorrow evening.

Freeballing is definitely fetishistic.

If Boris Johnson had attended, would he have combed his hair for once?

Why should he? It’s not like Harry bothered to get a haircut before he came.

Get a grip, freeballing fetishists - he’s obviously wearing boxers.

SO unfair to Charles if true, R362. He looked unwell and shattered with grief.

If they give Hazbean any role going forward they all deserve to go down with the ship. Philip wisely counseled cutting them loose completely a year ago, none of this slow easing out, and was overruled. Sure looks like astute advice in hindsight. I hope this conflated the will be hashing out the monarchy story with Harry going walking with Charles. After his acting out at the funeral and not even showing up groomed and pressed, he deserves no rewards.

R335 Elizabeth had to fight to marry Phil, and the cunty Queen Mum and various courtiers loathed him and blocked him in the beginning. Took Liz awhile to get it straightened out.

PageSix was completely wrong about the Middletons, so grain of salt.

Still looking for “disheveled” Harry in any pics.

The rumour about the Middletons attending was so odd. Why would the parents of his granddaughter-in-law be chosen as two of a mere thirty guests at the funeral of a man whose family was so large? Anything for clicks.

I think it was a strategic leak to ferret out an untrustworthy person in the circle, R368. It is a tactic the Cambridges are known to use.

I wouldn’t say he was dishevelled, r367, but his trousers were crushed and the bottom of his jacket obviously hadn’t been pressed since it came out of his suit carrier.

And he really should have had a haircut, even though neater hair would have highlighted his enormous bald spot.

Phil's long time mistress of a few decades, his true love Penny, was at the funeral.

His suit pants and jacket also did not match, R370. Not only was he wrinkled and in need of a haircut, his facial hair was ungroomed. He had been sitting in quarrantine for days, he could have made the slightest effort given the nature of the event and the connections to military service. He was in the Army, it is not like he does not know how to groom himself, he is a middle aged man.

It probably hasn’t escaped MM’s attention that, deserved or not, Kate comes out of the funeral showdown with W & H with her reputation burnished even brighter. All she did was dress well and speak cordially to Harry for a few moments and now she’s praised worldwide as a peacemaker. The palace always wins. MM & HH can leak and complain for the rest of their lives, but they both miss the point that the monarchy will always support the direct line of succession.

R373, it helps when the direct line of succession is behaving impeccably throughout a national crisis, while manchildren further out in the family tree are trotting around after James Corden and whingeing to Oprah about relative trivia.

And that they have the good jewelry and use it to send messages, R373. I suspect that choice was from the dresser who MM maligned. MM will never have that. Biggest bag fumble in history. Haz seems to have only one drive in life, to best William and screw over his family. William will be King and Harry will be some divorced middle aged guy with a drug problem.

R372 I’m no fan of Harry but you obviously aren’t aware that the trousers and jacket in a morning suit aren’t supposed to match. Black tail coat with grey pinstriped trousers - just like every other family member was wearing.

I’ll leave it with you re their lack of being pressed.

Meghan would give her left tit to have a picture as iconic as the one of Kate in the car at the funeral. If Meghan had ever been lucky enough to take a snap like that, it would have been all over her social media for the next forty years.

Daily Mail is reporting that Harry is remaining in the UK for another week to be here for the Queen's 95th birthday.

I wonder if Harry is staying because he's realizing, belatedly, what he missed by not spending time with his grandfather during Philip's last months, or if he's just trying to shake some money out of Granny? I hope it's the former but I fear it's the latter.

I really love Philip's riyal standard with the hearts and the castle on it. Will have to look up all the symbology.

The vulgarity and crassness of doing press statements about the Sussex wreath is . . . stupefying.

[quote] Meghan would give her left tit to have a picture as iconic as the one of Kate in the car at the funeral.

She’s a celebrity in her own right, not because she agreed to be a breeder for some bald man. There’s nothing iconic about the monarchy of a third rate power. Let go of the Christmas tree, the empire was a joke a hundred fucking years ago.

It's not just Hollywood crassness, either. I can't imagine most people in Hollywood would merch a FUNERAL WREATH and send the announcement out just as the funeral begins. The lack of empathy and just plain common sense is staggering.

Meghan was a Z-list cable actress in her own right, R382. Meghan's celebrity comes from marrying and breeding with said bald man's emotionally unstable younger brother. And unlike Kate, Meghan couldn't do the job she was expected to do despite massive amounts of help and support. There's nothing iconic about being a third-rate actress and failed duchess.

Let's also not forget that the one long-term acting job Meghan ever got came by way of her producer first husband.

r284 I would happily volunteer!

R385 and then once it was clear Suits would last for more than a couple seasons, informed the aforementioned husband that the marriage was over by sending back her wedding and engagement rings by FedEx.

[quote]Daily Mail is reporting that Harry is remaining in the UK for another week to be here for the Queen's 95th birthday.

ruh-roh!

Ginger is staying on to present the latest extortion plan to the Queen, his father and brother. We want X, or we will do Y and Z. All bets off, no holds barred. Though I honestly can't imagine what's left for them to threaten, what could be more callous and heartless than "Family are using Prince Philip's illness as an excuse to muzzle me".

R42

While caskets are far more common in USA, coffins still are usual box of choice for burials in UK and pretty much all over Europe.

Harry staying on another week is bad news. He as obviously been instructed, by you know who, to go straight to the Queen about some matter. No doubt to advise her that he and his vile wife Meghan will not be honoring the earlier agreement to refrain from exploiting his regal family connections family and upbringing for a Netflix show of some sort.

If he stays, it's probably just that the penny at long last dropped about the poor optics of not visiting Philip, which would be compounded by then missing the Queen's birthday, when he could much more easily be there. Defence rather than attack.

Agree with r369 that the Middleton “invitation” seems like a leak test. It didn’t make sense to me when I heard it.

That is a canny guess, because it made no sense from the start.

I doubted the posts about the press release... because I couldn't believe it.... and then I read a description of the contents... probably the Mail... a bunch of babble about Harry's military past, the extreme details on the flower... it was awful. She should have been advised it was awful. She should have listened to that advice. That ball-less wonder of hers knows that isn't how it's done (unless he didn't know the press release was being done, which is also entirely possible given he could barely dress himself.)

Those two are their own worst enemy. The look tackier and stupider all the time... they are rapidly entering Trump territory for their self-promoting cluelessness and the increasing ick factor attached to ever blundering, obvious move they make. It's almost comical except they're so loathsome. Soon all but the lowest even in Hollywood will be avoiding them.

+1 with r388!

So, assuming the report of PH not leaving for another week is correct, then "rushing home to be with the pregnant wife", apparently, isn't a concern.

Yes, lots of couples, to sustain a healthy marriage, like to, and need to, take prolonged breaks from each other, and their ain't a damn thing wrong with that.

Still, if this report is correct, I find that velly, velly interesting...

And really, to what end, R393? It is not as though they are so poor they needed a freebie wreath, it was simplh the most meager of pretexts to inject her name.

Oops, R383, need coffee.

I suspect even Trump would have shown up to a funeral in matching pressed clothes with groomed hair, R394. The disrespect in such passive aggressive teenager like ways is just gross in a middle aged former Army guy.

Vanity Fair is reporting that after the funeral, PH and PoW Charles took a private walk and that William was invited to join them.

The report was silent on whether William accepted the invitation.

Vanity Fair, apparently, has someone inside willing to dish, or has credible 2nd hand info, on what's what.

Charles, William and Harry had a get together.

All hands on deck so the Queen is supported.

I hope Charles and William knew they were being recorded by Hairbrain during their catch up and chose their words carefully. Gayle will be privvy to what they said within hours.

Seriously, when the Sussexes divorce, I predict that everything -legal custody and physical placement, visitation of the children in the UK if PH moves back post-divorce, I'd even bet that, as part of the settlement, Markle, at PH's expense has use of a private apartment in the UK for her to stay-in while the children are in the UK...

...all of that will be settled quickly. Markle will see no up-side in trying to go Defcon 1 with PH.

Man, can you imagine what the hourly legal fees are of a divorce attorney who has special knowledge of choice of law and jurisdictional issues related to an international child custody agreement, or battle! are?

As Han Solo, told Luke in "Star Wars" "I can imagine quite a bit..."

[quote] Harry staying on another week is bad news.

They'd better check his luggage for tiaras before he leaves the UK. What Meghan wants, Meghan gets.

I think this reconciliation PR push may be coming from the Sussex camp. It's far more in their interest to be seen as forgiving and forgetting than it is the BRF's at this point. They're the ones who need to show the power brokers of Hollywood that they still have some juice with the BRF. The Firm doesn't need them.

The Maul says Harry Markle is leaving for Clearance House today.

R405-- Exactly. I think that is also another reason why H was so determined to get behind William and be in the photo with him. They are nothing without the royal magic dust. Both are panicked, I think.

Harry's not smart enough to panic. He's gone total Dupe of Windsor. No doubt she's panicking. When you think about it, other than snagging him and popping a couple of embryos at the right time, nothing has really gone to plan, has it?

[quote]Clearance House

Genius. Typo or not, Clarence is dead to me.

It was on porpoise.

If you look at what's actually taking place rather than listening to PR spin, it's clear Harry is persona non-grata. He was iced out by almost everyone at the funeral, and he's not staying for the Queen's birthday (it's unlikely he was invited). Meanwhile, reports are showing up from the BRF that William and Charles will be meeting with the Queen soon to figure out how patronages will be pared down and redistributed in the future.

The message is clear: The Sussexes are not needed and not wanted. The Wessexes are still reasonably young, quite popular with the public, and will do nicely until William's children come of age in 20 years or so.

If Andrew hadn't soiled his reputation with the Epstein thing, I think the Queen would have pulled Harry and Meghan's HRH titles this March. They should be grateful for the Andrew scandal, as it's the only reason they're still allowed that perk in the UK. The Queen can't pull the Sussex HRH without pulling the York HRH, and she'll never do that.

Clearance House: inhabited by HalfPrice Harry and Meghan the Mooch.

[quote]Clearance House

Damaged goods, must go soon, all offers considered...

Steptoe and Son meet Prince Philip

Clearance House: Where we send things that no one's buying

Off to Clearance House with the Sussexes!

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

"Prince Philip asked photographer to hide in fake chapel pillar at funeral"

It was all meticulously planned.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Sophie Wessex is supposedly the Queen's favorite and the family member she spends the most time with. Sophie's sneering at Harry is notable.

"Come home to a real fire. Buy a cottage in Wales."

"Sharon Osbourne blasts Prince Harry and calls him the 'poster boy' of white privilege during Bill Maher interview"

"Osbourne continued to criticize Prince Harry. "So you know, he sits there and says daddy cut him off and he's not on the wages anymore, and he was boohooing about it," she said."

Ouch

This is quite sweet about Lady Louise.

Lady Louise was born with some disabilities including partial blindness.

I wonder if Lady Louise, now 17, is being groomed to eventually take up Royal duties? She's the daughter of two senior working royals, and there is no taint-by-association as there is with the York girls and their father. If she takes up the HRH Princess title next year, I guess we'll know.

Which one is Lady Louise again?

The odd looking tallish blond one with the wonky eye.

Did she get wonky eye from Meghz or Andy Cohen?

They fixed her eyes and got her some braces, so she's presentable looking. She reminds me of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Mary of Teck.

I know her mother Sophie nearly died in childbirth with Louise. Whether that affected Louise's vision or not is unclear.

She could be and the fact that she has some disabilities would be significant for a lot of the royal family's charities and support for Brits with disabilities.

Lady Louis, like Sophie, Anne, Edward, Zara, etc. gave Harry an impressive Death Stare at the funeral. They will never forget what Harry and Meghan did to Philip and the Queen in his final weeks. He was hospitalized the day after the family was told of the Oprah interview and then the threats continued.

Louise's brother James is a handsome lad and will probably grow into a stunning young man (until he hits the wall at 25 like all Windsors). If he's just shy and not on the spectrum as some rumors have speculated, he could also grow up to be another asset to the BRF.

I see Harry gas learned nothing about leaking private communications from his family to the media. This is why they can never trust him again.

I don't think James Wessex has serious mental issues. You can usually see it in the eyes when they do, and he doesn't have that blank look like Prince John did.

How come Lady Louise becomes HRH Princess Louise next year?

R12 - Leave Celebitchy out of this. I highly doubt there are many CBers visiting the DataLounge

Lady Louise, as a male-line grandchild of a monarch, was always entitled to be HRH Princess Louise. Her parents chose not to have Louise or her brother styled as HRH and said they would leave that decision to the children when they turned 18. Next year, Louise is 18.

R434-- Harry HAS learned nothing. Although I think he does reek of gas.

And his "promise to respect the instituition" was a farce - his clothes were not even pressed and he was stunting on the steps and re: the funeral wreath, R434.

Prince Harry Expected to Fly Back to US and Miss Queen's 95th Birthday

What counts is how you treat your grandparents while they're still alive.

What disabilities was Louise born with? The only thing I read was her eyes, which were corrected.

She doesn't r436. It was agreed on by TQ and her parents that their children would be styled as non-HRH children of an Earl. That will hold indefinitely unless TQ or her successors changes that initial statement. It's very unlikely they will double back on it, given Charles's express desire to downsize the BRF and number of HRHs.

Charles needs to renounce the Duchy of Edinburgh so that it can be given to Edward.

Whose clothes weren’t pressed, r440? I swear I only read this here, and it’s been repeated over and over here even though it isn’t true. If MM and Harry have their PR spin, there’s spin coming from the other side too.

The Harkles have followed their merching of a funeral wreath with leaking details of a private communication to his bereaved father?!!! They redefine "loathesome" daily. He and his wife are disgusting trash.

From the Mail:

[quote]A royal source said: “Truth be told, Harry didn’t really know what to expect before he came home, which is why he reached out before seeing everyone. He wrote a deeply personal note to his dad to try and set things straight but tensions are still running high and things haven’t exactly ironed out the way he had hoped. Harry didn’t expect everything to be completely back to normal but his feeling after seeing his family was there is a lot of ground to make up . . . ." One palace insider said Charles was hoping to see his son again after Philip's funeral but Harry told him he wasn’t sticking around.

[quote]Meanwhile, Charles and William are said to be “completely focussed” on supporting the Queen as she continues to grieve for her husband of 73 years. As a way of supporting her they have scheduled a meeting to sort out future business of the monarchy and design tailor-made roles for each of the seven senior members of The Firm. It will include collaboration and support for one another from the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Anne and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

[quote].A source said: “One of the main issues with Harry and Meghan when they were part of the working family was their inability to understand how things worked. It’s been a lot simpler without them kicking off over why they couldn’t just do what they wanted. Things are a lot calmer.” There will be increased public roles for Sophie Wessex, said to be “tremendous support” over the last year to the Queen, to capitalise on her surging popularity among the public.

It couldn't be clearer: The Wessexes are being moved up to fill the gaps and will see increasing fame and perks. Sucks for the Sussexes and the Yorks, but that's what happens when you act like assholes. Eugenie and Bea are collateral damage, though I don't totally trust Eug after that merching stunt with the coat at the funeral yesterday.

[quote]Lady Louise was born with some disabilities including partial blindness.

Stop projecting your own difficulties onto others.

The big issue is that Harry probably doesn't think he did anything wrong. Until he acknowledges his fuck-ups and truly make amends, his loved ones are right not to trust him. Send him back to California and Meghan. Let him see what he can make of himself there without the family always cleaning up his messes and propping him up.

My guess is that Edward will get the Edinburgh title sooner rather than later. However, with Prince Philip barely cold in his crypt, it would be tacky to make the switch right now.

Charles has a year to disclaim Philip's titles.

Thanks for the link, r434. It does seem that Harry and MeMe have shit in her trademark fedora.

Did anyone watch the CBS/Gayle King funeral coverage? I saw on Twitter that Gayle asked why Anne was walking with the men, could that be true? She was his DAUGHTER. He had 4 children, the most MINIMAL prep would have identified them. Hoping even King has not stooped to this level of know nothingism.

[quote] Hoping even King has not stooped to this level of know nothingism.

She'd never even heard of the Royal Family before she met Harry and Meghan and she doesn't do research.

Gayle, Oprah, and Meghan are circus clowns.

I suspect the "pressure tactiscs" will be brought out again. They have little else.

When Harry says "respect the institution" I do not think he means what the rest of us understand. He merched the wreath, was an asshole entering the church and his clothes were wrinkled and hair scruffy - how is any of that respectful? How is issuing threats or the fact of your grandfather's dying days being spun as "muzzling" respectful? If he cannot understand the basics of human interaction at almost 40, not much to be done for it. His selling of Philip's guns and blowing off his military patronage to pitch to Disney must have been quite sad for Philip. It is hard to give up loving the potential of Harry for family, I would imagine, but the Harkles are quite malicious and aggressive.

r452 he can disclaim but the title still can't go to Edward then. He will hold Philip's titles until the Queen dies, when they will then "merge" back with the Crown to be re-created for someone else. After a short course of appropriate mourning, King Charles will re-create them for his brother Edward.

Why couldn't he disclaim them now and have the Queen recreate Duke of Edinburgh for Edward?

If that quote from the Mail at r447 is even half true, then either Harry is an utterly deluded moron or he and/or his wife are just trolling the Royal Family now. How he hell does he expect things to have “ironed out” by now, after he tarred his whole family are racists and/or powerless captives to their roles?

The Sussexes have really bet everything on somehow achieving success in the US on heir own merits now, but in reality what do they have to sell except for their royal connections?

They may think their royal status is unimpeachable, but it is entirely within the power of Charles and William to relegate them to the background shade of every royal event.

I also think they have made a big mistake by going nuclear and accusing someone of discussing Archie’s colour. If the rumours are true and it was Anne, then they are skating on thin ice. Not only is she extremely popular, but her children are both very close to her and I suspect would be very willing to defend her vociferously if the rumours are confirmed in the press. I’d actually relish Peter and Zara (both of whom are amongst the more down-to-earth members of the family, and capable of being as blunt as their mother and grandfather) giving a frank opinion of Harry’s recent behaviour.

Question for Brits. There has been mention of a wake for PP after the funeral with only half the mourners said to have attended.

Is this common or a Royal thing? I ask because in the US the wake precedes the funeral, not follows it.

Because Chaz can only disclaim for himself not for Wills or George etc, R458.

r458 if he disclaims then the titles go into a state called abeyance, whereby they are held over for the next heir. Usually, in the case of regular peerages, that would be the eldest son, grandson or male heir, after the holder's death.

In the special case of titles held by Charles, as heir to the throne, all of them "merge" back into the Crown the moment he becomes King. He will then 're-create' them as he sees fit: Prince of Wales for William, when he decides to assign him that role/title; and Duke of Edinburgh allegedly for Edward.

Not quite r461. Those titles won't go to William or George. They merge back into the Crown, for King Charles to then re-create them as he sees fit, to whom he sees fit.

R460 In Britain the wake always comes after the funeral.

Should add to my post at r462 that the Dukedom of Cornwall is a special case, as that is specifically reserved for the heir to the throne. William automatically becomes Duke of Cornwall the moment the Queen dies - that title isn't "merged" back into the Crown like the others are.

Under the current letters patent, R443, Charlotte is already a Princess and an HRH, but her parents have chosen not to have her styled as such (just as Harry and Meghan are HRHs, but are not styled as such). When she turns 18 in November, she has the right to make her own decision as to whether she'll use the titles that are legally hers. Her mother said as much recently.

R459, not only was Zara giving Harry the Glare of Death outside the church, Peter was seen to be turning the same family glare upon Andrew during the service.

WASPS in the US have a subdued get together after the funeral as well. Russians also. Actually I imagine most cultures do. Who has one before? The Irish? Do they show up drunk at the funeral mass?

Reportedly the Harkles demanded that Charles hand over an equity stake in the Duchy of Cornwall, R464.

R460, I'm British and I've only ever attended a wake after a funeral, not before.

If true then the Harkles really don't get it R468.

R465 - you mean Lady Louise, don't you? Charlotte is the daughter of Will and Kate and is already an HRH.

In Ireland they prop the coffin up, lid off, and try to wake the deceased before burial.

Thanks, R462. The niceties of rank and peerage are so complex!

They used to imply that Louise and James would never use HRH Prince/Princess, but they seem to be walking it back a bit in recent years. This could go along with the Earl and Countess' quickly improving fortunes. The death of Philip, the disgrace of Andrew, and the departure of the Sussexes left some room at the top. Why not let their children fill it?

Of course, R471. Thanks!

WTF, R468? If true, the Sussexes are totally delusional. The Duchy of Cornwall is William's birthright by law and custom as soon as HM dies. Harry and Meghan are not entitled to squat, especially when they don't even live in the UK or serve the Crown anymore.

In the US the wake, if there is one, is held on a day or days preceding the funeral. Anyone drunk at the wake - the viewing of the body at a funeral home - would have time to sober up before the funeral the next day.

In the US it's common to have a small reception or luncheon after the funeral services, but it's not called a wake.

"She is styled as "Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor",[27] although letters patent issued in 1917, and still in force, assign a princely status and the style of Royal Highness to all children of a monarch's sons.[28] However, when her parents married, the Queen, via a Buckingham Palace press release, announced that their children would be styled as the children of an earl, rather than as prince or princess.[29] Thus, court communications refer to her as Lady Louise Windsor.[30] In 2020, the Countess of Wessex stated that Louise retained her royal title and style and will make a choice on whether to use it when she reaches the age of 18.[31]"

I will horselaugh at Andrew if the Wessex daughter and son become full working royals, HRH and all. It's all he ever wanted for Bea and Eug.

R472, I don't know whether you're talking about Ireland or Irish-Americans but I can say that, in Ireland, there is a part of the funeral called the removal where the coffin is indeed open, the family line the walls of the room and friends come to sympathise with the family (shake hands and say "Sorry for your trouble(s)"). It's called removal because, once the friends have left, the coffin is sealed and taken to the church, where the requiem Mass takes place the following morning. The removal usually takes place in a funeral parlour.

The removal succeeded the old "wake", which would have happened in people's own homes, with food and drink provided. The practice fell into abeyance for a long time and has been revived to a small degree (by people, if you ask me, who just want to play up to an image of Ireland that is largely held by people abroad). Maybe some people do still drink after the removal, where once they would have had a drink at the wake, but I do not know anyone who'd show up drunk at the mass the next morning. After the mass, people often go for a meal (usually just the family and closest friends, a few dozen people) and people might get drunk at that but the dead person is buried by then.

I know it's off-topic, but just said I'd tell you all what I know!

I imagine the Wessex children will NEVER make a family funeral into a merching opportunity, and that is the difference, R477.

You could not make this up. Why is Gayle the Queen of the Wokerati?

The part of R479 where I asked about the subject of the previous post was directed at R467, not R472.

R468, that's believable because it seems to be impossible. As I understand it, Charles doesn't, and can't, own the duchy of Cornwall properties; all he can do is receive income from them. That was why the Queen had to pay Diana's divorce settlement; Charles didn't have that much property to sell or mortgage. And, since he doesn't own the duchy properties, he can't give a portion of them to the Sussexes.

Who's the bloke walking next to Tim Lawrence in the link?

R484 - that's Princess Margaret's son David, Earl Snowdon.

R468 they also demanded equity at BottomsUp. Also refused.

R484, that is Lord Snowdon, son of Princess Margaret.

Under his professional name, David Linley, he is the maker of extremely expensive furniture, which can be purchased in Harrods.

You have to admire Gayle's commitment to doing anything - including looking like a complete fool - to keep her name in the news. If there was ever any doubts she's a made woman at CBS because of Oprah, this should help settle it

Where were the Landgraves, the Margraves and Their Serene Highnesses the Hereditary Princes? Were the processing too?

[quote] Under his professional name, David Linley, he is the maker of extremely expensive furniture, which can be purchased in Harrods.

I went to Linley's shop in Pimlico years ago. The only thing I fancied with a acajou Kleenex box cover.

Gayle sure has a way of putting her foot in her mouth. When they’re not full of Oprah’s beef curtains, that is.

It appears the Harkles placed 2 stories in 9 min just before and as the funeral was starting. Busy, busy our Megs. And that was in addition to the wreath PR, this had to do with his medals and then Meghan and her grief. So 3 stories probably in the span of 30 minutes. DURING A FUNERAL.

R490, I’d quite like an Alba coffee table, with integrated wine cooler, but at £64,000 it is a few thousand pounds out of my price range.

It's all about MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Speaking of furniture I love the sphinx or lamasu carvings on the base of each seat in the chapel. So cool!

I think Linley's furniture is tacky AF and ridiculously overpriced. He's also a terrible businessman: He nearly went bankrupt in 2008 but was bailed out with Russian money. He borrowed heavily against the company after that and a few years later had to sell his controlling interest to British yacht magnate Jamie Edmiston, who then sold the shares to Malaysian investors. AFAIK, the business still hasn't really turned a profit for the investors.

R462, Charles can immediately "resign" the peerage of Duke of Edinburgh to the Crown (The Queen) allowing her to re-create it for Edward. You are correct about abeyance as the title can attempt to be reclaimed by other descendants. Peerages were often resigned long ago, usually when territorial ownership changed. As an example, the Earl of Such and Such sold or exchanged his lands in Such and Such to his cousin the Earl of So and So. Lord Such and Such no longer had an affiliation with the lands from which he took his peerage title. Unless Lord Such and Such committed treason, his title remained as it was regardless of the change in his land holdings. But, if Lord Such and Such did not want to be known as Lord Such and Such, often as a condition of the exchange or sale of lands, then he could resign his title to the Crown and receive a new one of the same rank, and usually of the same patent date. Whether or not the monarch of the day agreed to the request was totally up to them. To sweeten the deal, Lord Such and Such might offer the monarch a piece of property he or she may have been coveting, but had no legal right to seize.

It was very common in Scotland, and rarely done in England, but it's still possible to do although no peers have requested it for several hundred centuries.

All the stories about her are leaked by her/her PR. Not one member of the BRF would deign to comment. And I 100% believe that the “Middletons are attending Philip’s funeral” was a test leak. They know who else not to trust, now.

I wonder who failed though?

because I had no idea what the r401 link was on about:

ro·ta

/ˈrōdə/

1. BRITISH a list showing when each of a number of people has to do a particular job. "a cleaning rota"

If I had the legal right to a title I would never give it up.

Charles has more titles than he knows what to do with. If the price of keeping Edward on-side and taking up Harry's slack is the Duke of Edinburgh title, Charles would be a fool not to give it to him.

Harry and Meghan do not want to give up their titles either, R501, they just want to use them to make a living. Good luck with that. They had an amazing deal within the BRF but her derangement and his pathological jealousy of his brother put a stop to that.

I officially want to be 'Lord Such and Such'! How utterly fabulous!

Ma'm, Lord Such and Such has requested an audience with you.

[quote] It probably hasn’t escaped MM’s attention that, deserved or not, Kate comes out of the funeral showdown with W & H with her reputation burnished even brighter. All she did was dress well and speak cordially to Harry for a few moments and now she’s praised worldwide as a peacemaker.

Of course. The average citizen is an idiot, who will believe anything, anyone tells them

kate "recycles" a dress and ladies all over cream their panties and act like she came up with the cure for cancer. Women are so fucking stupid

If the citizens weren't so stupid, the monarchy would have ended a century ago

[quote] It was very common in Scotland, and rarely done in England, but it's still possible to do although no peers have requested it for several hundred centuries.

Obsolete R497. Anyway Duke of Edinburgh is not a title in the Peerage of Scotland but in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

r497 sorry, you are incorrect. Charles cannot simply 'resign' or give back the Edinburgh dukedom to The Queen, for her to turn around and grant it to Edward. It's his until either a) he dies, whereby it goes to his eldest son, William, to later be merged back into the Crown when he is King or b) the Queen passes away first, making Charles King and the dukedom would then merge back into the Crown for re-creation.

Sorry to argue but that's what's been stated repeatedly by the experts, heraldry experts and the like. Edward knows he will have to wait until his mother dies in order to receive his father's dukedom from the next monarch. This has all been pre-discussed and pretty much agreed to by all the parties involved, including Philip himself while still alive. We've discussed it here on DL in previous royal threads.

[quote] Lord Such and Such

Take that title!

The Titles Troll is right. Edward will be the 4th creation.

What happens with Duke of York? Andrew has no sons, so will it go to Bea's oldest son or will it go back to the Crown?

I think it returns to the Crown and will most likely be given to Prince Louis when William becomes king, R510. Beatrice can't inherit it because she's female.

[quote]Under the current letters patent, [R443], Charlotte is already a Princess and an HRH, but her parents have chosen not to have her styled as such (just as Harry and Meghan are HRHs, but are not styled as such). When she turns 18 in November, she has the right to make her own decision as to whether she'll use the titles that are legally hers. Her mother said as much recently.

It's Louise we were discussing, not Charlotte who is HRH from birth courtesy of new LP from TQ back in 2012.

It wasn't only the Wessexes decision - it was primarily The Queen's, with their obvious input. She and she alone controls the HRH honorific and Prince/ss titles. She doesn't need to issue LP to determine these, but can make a public declaration which is legally binding (some will argue that an LP makes it more official and is therefore more appropriate, but that is a matter of debate). Once that declaration was made back in 1999, re future Wessex children, it was pretty much regarded as the final say. Louise can't simply up and decide to start using the HRH - it would require permission of TQ or the current monarch to do so.

That doesn't mean that if she approached her grandmother and requested her HRH be reinstated, that she wouldn't gain the permission. It's the monarch's decision. I know there was talk recently about comments made by Sophie re her children's usage of the HRH as adults, but she should know that it's the monarch's decision alone.

It's all in keeping with the move toward modernization of the BRF, and the "slimming" of the royal family to a small core. They want to limit the number of HRHs and Prince/sses, much like Sweden has recently done. The 1st step was the Wessex children; the 2nd was Harry's offspring (contrary to what his wife parroted to Oprah recently, race has nothing to do with it). They want it eventually limited to the monarch's children, and the children of the immediate heir and their heir. That's it.

Unless Andrew has a legitimate son, the dukedom becomes extinct on his death.

Actually r513 that's partially true. It will merge back "into the Crown" for future re-creation for a future royal duke, most likely little Louis when he eventually marries or comes of age (if Andrew is deceased by then).

The York dukedom has traditionally been used for the monarch's 2nd son, when available.

Fuck off, R505. Thank you veddy much.

Yes, I would guess York goes to Louis upon is marriage. Traditionally it goes to the second son. Charlotte presumably becomes Princess Royal at some point in William's reign. Anne would have to be dead. There is only one at a time.

So the dukedom can't pass through a daughter to a grandson? Interesting.

It will go to Louis only if Andrew has passed away at that point. If he's still alive, it will have to be something else.

Yeah, thanks for that R515. I was gonna argue what a cynical point of view but you realize when someone is that cynical, no argument can reach them.

Of course there is no rational argument for monarchy - it's a choice, one model of many to embody the nation.

[quote] So the dukedom can't pass through a daughter to a grandson? Interesting.

Some titles pass via a daughter like Mountbatten of Burma.

Unfortunately no r517. There is a movement afoot in the UK to make this so, to enable titles/peerages and the associated estates stay within direct blood families, rather than pass out to distant male cousins. It remains to be seen what will happen.

[quote]It's all in keeping with the move toward modernization of the BRF, and the "slimming" of the royal family to a small core. They want to limit the number of HRHs and Prince/sses, much like Sweden has recently done. The 1st step was the Wessex children; the 2nd was Harry's offspring (contrary to what his wife parroted to Oprah recently, race has nothing to do with it). They want it eventually limited to the monarch's children, and the children of the immediate heir and their heir. That's it.

That plan made sense when it was thought that Harry and his wife would be working Royals. They had the HRH already so no need to add more. But I wonder if a stopgap won't be needed in a few years and the Wessex children could fill it. After all, they've lost Philip, Andrew, Harry, and Meghan. Prince Charles, Princess Anne, the Cambridges, and The Wessex parents can't do everything, and that will be even more true in 5-10 years. William's children won't be ready to be full-time royals for 20 years. It might not be a horrible idea to pull in Louise and James Wessex and let them use the HRH title, with the understanding that their children won't get it.

Can’t Meghan and Harry just purchase a title? Didn’t Zsa Zara’s husband Prince von Anhalt purchase his?

Perhaps the people of Chunga Changa will crown them with some regal title.

R514 it's an extinction unless Andrew becomes King.

r520 that was because it was specially created by the monarch at the time to be inherited by Louis Mountbatten's eldest daughter, as he had no sons at the time.

r524 it's an extinction only for that creation, for Andrew. It will merge back to the Crown to be used again at a later date, for someone down the line.

I'm surprised given his ego that Andrew never married again and tried for a son with the next wife. You'd think his ego would have demanded that he pass the York title on.

This cracked me up.

The royal York dukedom has been created several times in just the past 150 years. George V was originally the 2nd son and Duke of York, until his elder brother died and he also was made Prince of Wales. As King, he re-created the dukedom, and made his 2nd son Albert the Duke of York (the current Queen's father), until he also became King. The current Queen re-created/made Andrew the Duke of York at his wedding to Sarah Ferguson in the mid 80s.

"No current Dukedom in the peerages of the British Isles can descend in the female line, except the Dukedom of Marlborough. Which itself is subject to a complicated set of rules. Occasionally titles were granted and allowed to pass to the female line in the first generation, such as the Dukedom of Fife."

There was also the Duchess of Inverness.

Or they just wait Andrew out until he dies. There'd be no rush to confer a dukedom even if Andrew was still alive by the time Louis married.

R517, not typically. An except was made for the Mountbatten earldom (Louis Mountbatten.). Anything can be done but usually titles are granted with what's called a remainder - describing how the title descends upon the death of the original recipient. Typically this is to the eldest legitimate living male descendant, usually the holder's son. But if there are only daughters it would revert back to the previous holder. So John, the earl, dies with only daughters. The title would then pass to John's eldest brother and if he is dead to John's eldest brother's eldest son

There's a movement afoot in the UK to change the law so women can inherit. It seems to be gaining traction.

Viscount Whitelaw was created an hereditary peer with no possibility of his children (daughters only) inheriting and there was no remainder to another male relative. This was because the prime minister at the time wished to confirm that hereditary peerages could still be created. This was in 1983. Viscount Tonypandy was also an hereditary creation, for the same reason; he was unmarried and had no children.

Who would want Andrew's Duke of York title after he's dragged it through the mud throughout his lifetime

It's very prestigious R533.

"Nelson, Kitchener, Allenby, Mountbatten and Portal, were all created peers with a special remainder, as none had male issue to inherit, and this gave these peerages a better chance of survival."

The Portal barony but not the viscountcy was inherited by his daughter.

R515 is one of those idiots who gets all excited because kate wore a dress two times. It takes absolutely nothing to impress him

"oh my god!!!! kate recycled that dress. She's the most talented person in the entire world"

I never gave it much thought but why didn’t Andrew and Fergie keep trying? Eugenie was born in 1990 and they separated in 1992 after six years of marriage. They divorced in 1996.

[quote] it's an extinction only for that creation

That is correct R526.

Controversial thought: Andrew and Fergie may re-wed in the coming few years. Don't be shocked. He's been disgraced and removed from public life, re-marrying would go some way toward washing a bit of the stink off, although not redeem him. It might serve to shore up his family credentials, to allow better visibility for his two adult daughters.

Plus I think they still care for each other and enjoy living together. Re-marrying would grant Sarah some 'protection' as part of the BRF, she'd re-gain her HRH and place at family events.

If Andrew is going to remarry he will marry some chick big with his [male] child and keep the Duchy of York out of the hands of his grasping brother, King Charles III to be.

Seriously... why did Andrew not remarry?

I saw three commentators on Saturday wringing their hands over how "traumatic" it must be for Harry to walk behind Philip's coffin, as it was "the first time he's done it since his mother's death".

I guess "fact checking" is no longer a thing.

[quote] Seriously... why did Andrew not remarry?

He used to be Randy Andy. He has become a very large, imbibing, gourmand, guzzling admiral accused of missteps of Pizza Express proportions. But he should marry again, to a titty 25yo, if only to keep the Duchy of Pork in his family line. His is the eighth and perhaps the final creation ...

He's 61 years old and a grandfather. It's unlikely he'll re-marry to have another child.

r541 he supposedly proposed at one point to Amanda Stavely, a former Cambridge student who got on well with his kids and ex, Sarah. But that relationship ended. He's never fully been extricated from Sarah's orbit, which may have affected his post-divorce love life. That and of course, his poor associations with the likes of Epstein and other.

[quote] I saw three commentators on Saturday wringing their hands over how "traumatic" it must be for Harry to walk behind Philip's coffin, as it was "the first time he's done it since his mother's death". I guess "fact checking" is no longer a thing.

R542 As we know from Trump, Kellyanne, Oprah, Gayle, Meghan and Harry, facts don't matter. And if you disagree on how they feel, you are a RACIST and canceled. Bye.

r435 looks like Andrew McCarthy, TBH

It’s difficult to imagine anybody wanting to marry Andrew because:

1) He’s Andrew

And

2) Who would want to marry him with his dumb, ugly, ginger, drifting ex waddling around the house?

[quote]Charlotte is already a Princess and an HRH, but her parents have chosen not to have her styled as such (just as Harry and Meghan are HRHs, but are not styled as such). When she turns 18 in November, she has the right to make her own decision as to whether she'll use the titles that are legally hers.

Damn, they really do grow up so fucking fast.

^^^ “grifting” not “drifting”, although “drifting” kind of works for Fergie, too. Like a whale carcass, waiting to be finished off.

[quote]Under his professional name, David Linley, he is the maker of extremely expensive furniture, which can be purchased in Harrods.

extremely expensive = you weren't fucking kidding

[quote]One last word on unexpected funeral MVP Peter Philips; standing between Wills & Harry, he looked better than both of them, even though he's the oldest.

Is he the one who sells milk to Chinamen?

Linley wasn't that expensive at his Pimlicoco store. Harrods have got a huge mark up going.

'More lovely family photos from Balmoral. Something Archie and his sister have been deprived of'

I'm sure they'll miss cold rainy summers in the middle of nowhere, being told that they will never be as important as their cousins. I'm glad they'll miss out on that. They'll be laughing at the poor Cambridge kids having to go to Scotland every year to shoot ducks while the WIndsors learn to surf in Malibu.

How to Spot a Rancid Klan Granny

Always calls Kate 'Catherine' or 'Katherine' to make her chav ass sound more regal

Usually refers to another poster by their R number in a patronising way

Uses puerile nicknames such as Hazbean

Genuinely thinks that Scotland is a fantastic place to spend a few weeks in August

Relates runours as if they're verified facts

Thinks a 110 lb woman of 5ft 4 is fat

Believes the Queen will live to be 105

Defends Prince Pedophile

The posters wailing that Archie and his little sister have been "deprived of time with their cousins" are a CHORUS OF MUG-CRADLERS.

R552, his website lists some pretty extortionate prices. £125,000 for a screen to divide a room, for example.

Archie and his sister will have plenty of friends in Montecito. They won't need their snobbish cousins. Klan Grannies think that everyone's ambition is to live in central London and socialise with the Cambridges just because that's their own ideal.

'And yesterday in St George’s Chapel was a reminder of all that (Prince Philip and the Queen's life long devotion to serving the nation). '

Serve the nation by cutting ribbons whilst owning palaces all over the country and pocketing millions from the public purse. You act as if the pair of them were NHS nurses.

'On a more superficial note, Harry’s bald spot is HUGE. '

Not as big as Fugenie's post partum belly. I guess William would love it if he could still have a bald spot instead of being completely bald.

What is a klan granny?

Really? This is what I think of when I see that.

William was not completely bald on Saturday, and what hair he has was very cleaned up and tidy. Unlike some people.

Here's the definition.

“Biracial”? 😂😂😂

Yeah, I don't think she really even registers as biracial. I don't think as many people hate on her for that as her supporters may believe.

I remember seeing her as the FedEx girl in some movie. She stood out then. I think I thought she was part Filipina Latin or something. She stood out because she seemed like she would be somebody.

It must not be Prime Time. The Klan Granny Trolls - er, Princess Pushy's three paid stooges - are here...

Lord Such and Such, I have a plot of land that might be of interest. Kindly contact my solicitor Sir Geoffrey Dillon.

'Yeah, I don't think she really even registers as biracial.'

Her mother is black, you cretin.

[quote] Controversial thought: Andrew and Fergie may re-wed in the coming few years.

Maybe, so she wont' have to testify against him

Those 2 are grifters. He sells access to his mother and other important people and Fergie's his "bagman". Andrew would never do anything as gauche as handling money himself. Enter Fergie, collecting the money from the griftees

I remember when he rented out Buckingham Palace to the beckhams for their daughter's birthday party. Of course fergie was there to take home a purse full of money

The courtiers slipped and said "it was a private event and that members of the royal family do this from time to time". i.e, Andy rents the place out like it was an Air B&B. OR maybe he really really, really likes to host little girl's birthday parties out of the goodness of his perverted heart. The tabloids really dropped the ball on that. They should have investigated how many times he's done it. And what guests he invited? I wonder if he invited ghislaine to these parties?

R567 Blocked because you called me a cretin. From now on everything you type will be like

How do you know what to believe:

The Telegraph: No man-to-man for Prince Charles and Harry as Duke heads back to US / Duke of Sussex set to return to California without securing one-to-one time with his father to clear air after bombshell Oprah interview

It claims Huge is at Royal Lodge with her parents while Harry holed up at Frogmore Cottage.

The Times: Charles meets princes to ‘hammer out’ a reconciliation

"The Prince of Wales has had a meeting with his two sons at Frogmore cottage, it was reported last night. The get- together follows family discussions after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral on Saturday. The Duchess of Cambridge was also said to have been present. An insider told The Sun that Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, who now live at the cottage, “made themselves scarce as Harry, William, Kate and Charles hammered things out”.

The Maul: DAN WOOTTON: Prince Charles heads to his Welsh bolthole to privately grieve for his father

"Prince Charles has left for his cottage in Wales to privately grieve the loss of his father – following an extraordinary summit with Prince William and Prince Harry immediately after Prince Philip's funeral. I have learned the grief-stricken Prince of Wales fled to Llwynywermod in Llandovery on his own within 24 hours of his father being laid to rest. He departed after a face-to-face meeting within the grounds of Windsor Castle with his two sons, where they started the 'baby steps' towards a reconciliation following Harry and Meghan's bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview.vBut, in an unprecedented development that lays bare the depth of their rift, Charles and William preferred to meet with Harry together so that nobody's words could be misconstrued afterwards."

+ The Maul: Prince Harry wrote his 'very hurt' father a 'deeply personal letter' ahead of Prince Philip's funeral - because he couldn't reach him any other way in the wake of his explosive Oprah Winfrey interview

Earlier today a source revealed that Prince Charles 'walked and talked' with Prince Harry at Windsor Castle before taking part in a 'family summit' with both his sons after Prince Philip's funeral.

So The Times and The Telegraph, both credible newspapers with credible reporters. completely contradict one another, while the Maul contradicts itself and them slightly.

I can't even snark here. Who knows what to believe?

Those grey pinstripe pants are not flattering. Why is this morning/mourning suit still the go to? Its so Edwardian. Surely a regular suit would do.

Thanks for the good summary r570. Doing the work so we don't have to lol.

That is truly strange, the completely contradictory stories in the Telegraph and the Times. They are opposite, I don't think I've seen reporting that divergent on the royals like that. I'm leaning myself toward the Telegraph, as their story seems more plausible given that Harry booked his way back to CA quickly and Charles was off to Wales. It also makes sense that Eug and new baby are staying with her parents while Harry took up back at FrogCott this past week. I didn't fully believe that they were all staying together there, with a new baby.

Another earldom that descended through the female line, the Earldom of Errol. Josslyn Hay, 22nd Earl of Errol, was shot dead in Kenya (supposedly by his mistress's husband) in 1941. Joss's daughter Diana inherited the title, becoming the 23rd Countess of Hay. Diana's son inherited the Earldom, after she died.

I get the sense that Harry romanticizes California like a lot of Brits (and East Coasters) do--that you can just go there to the Golden State and make your way.

But the people who make it here are either smart or good looking, better yet, both. Harry's as dumb as a post and doesn't have the looks to compensate.

He clearly feels bitter and stifled by the Firm, but I think he has very little idea about what it's like to not have that back-up.

He could have had an amicable divorce, but he needed to not do the interview and he really needed to pull back on making a fuss when Phillip was so ill. He's been acting out like an angry teenager and he still doesn't seem to get that there's no going back and he's up against nearly 1000 years of tradition.

As for Meghan, I think she's mostly been a means to an end for Harry. She's a pretty, shallow California girl who was in way over her head. Americans fundamentally don't get royalty and what the BRF means to the British. Meghan, like a lot of actresses, was too self-involved to read the palatial rooms. The culture shock had to be insane and Harry would have been.too resentful to help her out.

R570, r572, this is not the first time we’ve seen contradictory stories about the Sussexes.

It’s a battle of the PR flacks.

Sigh, I wish I had some Welsh farm to wander off to whenever I felt sad; it's hard to imagine Wales would cheer you up, but still..

[quote]Is he (Peter) the one who sells milk to Chinamen?

Yes, Peter (fit as he is) has a record of tacky merching stunts like the Chinese milk commercial, selling the rights to photos of his wedding without telling wedding guests (including the Queen!) and holding dubious "sport" jobs no doubt trading off his royal adjacent role. So I think the Yorkies get most of the attention, but the others to do it

R574, Meghan miscalculated and hoisted herself on her own hubris. She’s not some hapless waif who didn’t know what she was getting into.

And now everyone’s going to suffer.

William and Kate are the next Charles and Camilla. Irrelevant, haggard, and boring. Harry and Meghan are the only hope for the Royals' future relevance. But the Firm's Snobbishness and short-sightedness will much up things. as usual. Sigh.

R576, Peter and Zara get away with more merching because they don’t have titles. That’s the deal really: if you have the HRH, the dukedom, the bowing and scraping, then you are expected to abide by a higher standard when it comes to protecting the brand from tackiness and commercial activity.

Peter and Zara are essentially the template that Harry should have been expected to follow. If they want freedom to earn wads of cash, they need to give up the nice, prestigious baubles that come with royal life. They can be respected members of the family and take their places like Peter and Zara, but they are otherwise expected to make their own way in the world.

Of course, none of this was good enough for the Sussexes. They demand the cold hard cash that comes with commerce and the inheritance, jewels, titles and unearned adulation of royal life. At some point, it will get through to them that they cannot have both.

^ I imagine that will happen sometime during the settlement negotiations.

The Telegraph is really trying to make friends with the future... with two Kate love ins. I post both for the pleasure of knowing the Megaloons will have a really bad day after reading them.

The quiet making of our future queen

The Duchess of Cambridge’s destiny is set, but it was at Prince Philip’s funeral that she showed just how ready she is for the role

By Camilla Tominey, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

It is arguably one of the best photographs ever to have been taken of the Duchess of Cambridge.

Capturing not only the sombre mood of the occasion but also the steely determination of a family in mourning, Kate’s sorrowful green eyes stared straight down the lens as she was pictured arriving at Windsor Castle for the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral on Saturday.

Taken by Getty photographer Chris Jackson, who is married to the Duchess’s stylist Natasha Archer, the extraordinary image revealed the steady yet serious gaze of a Royal whose decade in the monarchy has been characterised by quiet confidence and calm self-composure.

Resplendent in the Queen’s pearls, even behind a black face mask, the 39-year-old mother of three managed to exude both style and substance as she was thrust back into the spotlight for her first major Royal event since that Oprah Winfrey interview.

Despite having effectively been thrown under a bus by the Duchess of Sussex’s suggestion that she had made her cry during a bridesmaid’s dress fitting – and not the other way round – it was Kate who was the first in the 30-strong congregation to engage Prince Harry in polite conversation following the 3pm ceremony at St George’s Chapel.

Having repeatedly looked over at her brother-in-law, seated opposite, during the 50-minute service while both William, 38, and Harry, 36, buried their heads in their orders of service, the woman once cruelly dubbed “Waity Katie” showed just how much she shares what Prince Philip once described as the Queen’s “abundance of tolerance”.

Willingly playing the role of peacemaker, she tried to carve a path to reconciliation between the Royal brothers.

It is no secret that William is still seething over Harry’s suggestion that both he and their father, the Prince of Wales are “trapped” in a “racist” and “bullying” Royal Family.

Yet having gained a formidable reputation for keeping calm and carrying on in the face of a royal crisis, Kate did what she has always done as she has failed to put a foot wrong since she first arrived in the House of Windsor almost 10 years ago to the day: she rose above.

Subtly moving aside after she had broken the ice to allow her husband and brother-in-law to finally walk in a pair, Kate gracefully helped to engineer the rapprochement the world had been waiting for.

And while it may all have been choreographed knowing the cameras would be trained on the trio who once carried out so many public duties together, it helped to soften the negative narrative around the brothers’ feud – turning what could have been a strained scene into something much lighter.

It came after she had put a loving arm around her emotional father-in-law, Prince Charles, 72, who was spotted wiping away tears with a white handkerchief as he emerged from the chapel’s Galilee Porch, to give him a reassuring peck on the cheek.

It was the heir to the throne who insisted the Royals abandon their assembled chauffeur-driven limousines in favour of taking a stroll back to Windsor Castle, with the sun still beating down on his father’s final resting place. This spur of the moment decision on a day of such meticulous planning allowed the Royals to take off their face masks for the first time in more than an hour – and talk freely – and provided a touching moment of humanity to the weighty proceedings.

While it would be a mistake to read too much into the brief encounter between William and Harry – with one Royal source warning: “one swallow does not a summer make” – it was certainly a start. Courtiers had already commented on it being a relief that the brothers were now able to talk on the phone – in the same time zone for once – after Harry spent the week leading up to the funeral quarantining at Frogmore Cottage, his former Windsor home.

But were it not for that galvanising moment, the Cambridges, Harry, Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, might not have stayed on at the 94-year-old monarch’s private apartments for a further two hours.

Talk of a “Windsor summit” may well be overblown, but it is unthinkable that they did not discuss the fallout from the Sussexes’ outpouring to the US chat show host, having not seen each other face to face in more than a year. It is not just the suggestion that an unnamed Royal had questioned Archie’s skin tone that continues to bristle, but the Sussexes’ insistence that they were not being supported – contrary to the Royals’ belief that they “bent over backwards” to accommodate the needs and desires of the independently-minded and sometimes demanding couple.

Contrary to suggestions she was unfriendly and unwelcoming towards Meghan when she first arrived on the Royal scene in 2016, Kate was among the first to “reach out” to the American former actress, sensing that while they may have very different personalities, they shared a common bond as royal WAGS under the spotlight. However, the chasm between the introverted Home Counties girl and the extroverted star of US legal drama Suits appears to have widened when a distinction was made between Kate marrying into the Firm as an “unknown” and Meghan already having a profile. According to one Palace insider: “They were not only very different women with very different personalities but very different women who came from very different places. Kate spent 10 years as a girlfriend learning the ropes. Everything happened much more quickly with Harry and Meghan, who entered the Royal scene with her own, fully-formed ideas. I think Kate found her quite intimidating.”

Little wonder, then, with Harry attending the funeral of his grandfather alone while his pregnant wife remained more than 5,000 miles away, having been advised against flying by her doctors, the dynamic between him and his brother and sister in law reverted to more how things used to be.

What must Harry have made of being welcomed back into the Royal fold by Kate, who he lovingly described as “the big sister I never had” when her engagement to William was announced in November 2010? As the couple’s best man, and for years, the “third person” in their marriage as they carried out public duties as a triumvirate, Harry knows better than most the important role Kate has played in taming his brother’s fiery emotions as the couple prepare to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on April 29.

William “hit the roof” when paparazzi photographs emerged of his wife sunbathing topless during a private holiday in the south of France in 2012 but Kate largely shrugged it off. When the couple won €100,000 (£92,000) in damages from Closer, the French magazine that published them, they donated the money to charity. Harry would have also been acutely aware of how hurt and embarrassed intensely private Kate would have been by Meghan’s retelling of the intimate events leading up to their May 2018 wedding – which have been met by stony silence from camp Cambridge. (Close aides continue to insist that Kate was left in tears, as originally reported by this newspaper.)

He also cannot fail to have respect for his sister-in-law’s magnanimity in not only being willing to forgive and forget, but also in trying to foster the same spirit of compassion in their nearest and dearest. The parallels between unflappable Kate and Harry’s famously conflict-avoiding grandmother are becoming increasingly uncanny.

Throughout Megxit, Kate has echoed Her Majesty in reminding friends and family that Harry and Meghan remain “much loved members of the family”. Among the Royals most hopeful of a reconciliation, she was even telling friends before the Oprah interview that she did not think it was too late to “pull them back in”.

Even after the bombs rained down on the Firm, the Duchess was said to be keen to try to bury the hatchet – also for the sake of two-year-old Archie’s relationship with his cousins, Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five and Prince Louis, two.

According to one source: “Being so close to her own siblings, Pippa and James, and having witnessed first hand the special bond between William and Harry, she has found the whole situation difficult and upsetting. Her natural instinct is to try to smooth things over.”

Far from drawing a veil over the conflict that has plagued the monarchy for over a year, Kate’s sacrifice in the face of public duty on Saturday put her in the frame as a Queen in waiting like never before.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s secret power comes down to one personality trait

Joining the Royal family is far from easy, but she has learnt to use her position to make a positive difference to others

By Angela Levin 19 April 2021 • 6:00pm

Among the heartache, grief and loss at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral on Saturday there was an outstanding ray of positivity that it was impossible to ignore, and one that couldn’t have been more simple and more powerful. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, stood tall and graceful. Her poise, elegance and quiet confidence reassured us that the monarchy is in good hands.

She has often been described as selfless and resilient, but on Saturday it became clear that it is her positivity – a characteristic she has had all her life – that outranks all these other qualities and stands her in such good stead. Not only can Prince William count on her, but his rather confused brother and the wider Royal family can also be grateful they have such a positive influence in their midst.

Joining the Royal family is far from easy, with its endless demands and lack of freedom. Catherine, now aged 39 and mother of three small children, quickly understood what her life would be and has been determined to make the very best of it. She accepted and understood what the country and the monarchy expected of her with elegance and dignity. Her beauty is not skin deep. Instead of complaining about her position, she has learnt to appreciate what it can offer to others.

Watching her after the funeral was impressive. The royals were expected to follow the Queen and be driven from St George’s Chapel the short journey to Windsor Castle, but at the last minute they decided they would all walk back in the glorious sunshine.

Stepping forward to talk to Prince Harry and you could tell by her soft movements that rather than get revenge for the criticism his wife Meghan Markle had aimed at her during Oprah Winfrey’s bombshell conversation, she was trying to break the ice. As William joined them and Catherine quietly stepped down off the pavement to give the brothers space to chat, she then quite naturally stepped back to talk to Sophie, Duchess of Wessex, occasionally taking a glance at the two men.

It might not lead anywhere but at least it was a start.

So what is the source of this positivity, which we all so desperately need now we have to face coming out of lockdown into a very different world?

Significantly, Catherine comes from a solid middle-class family. Her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, have been strong role models and given her traditional values. She is also close to her sister Pippa and brother James and has thrived on the warmth generated by a close family.

She and Prince William met at the University of St Andrews and their relationship became public in 2004. Three years later William stepped back, apparently uncertain about their future. Kate, as she was then known, didn’t try to get her own back or make money by selling the story of their relationship. Nor did she complain. Instead, she seemed determined, on the surface at least, to have a good time. This smiling, positive woman making the best of things is probably what brought William back a few months later. And even then when Kate was mocked, ridiculed and called “Waity Katie”, she kept her feelings to herself, doing her best to look for the good in things.

This optimism has helped her cope with the demands of her position over the years. William, like Harry, has an aversion to the media and when he and Catherine became parents didn’t want photographers to interrupt their family life. Instead of going into battle, Catherine learnt how to become a photographer and has since provided a steady stream of delightful family pictures that the public have loved. She is also slowly letting Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis understand how their lives are different but so far in a fun way. What could be more enjoyable than to stand outside your door and clap for the NHS?

After their marriage some people called her “lazy” for giving up work. But, instead of being cowed by such criticism, again she quietly turned a negative into a positive using the time she did have to thoroughly research what patronages she wanted to take on, getting a real understanding about how they worked to ensure she could be of use. Again this positive approach to the task in hand worked. Now, far from being seen as work-shy, she is recognised as one of the best-informed and motivated Royals.

She knew William didn’t merely want to cut ribbons and unveil plaques but to make a difference. Catherine joined William and Harry’s Royal Foundation and it is believed to have been instrumental with coming up with the idea of Heads Together. Making mental health a key issue was a radical decision and encouraged anyone who is depressed or suffering from a mental illness to seek help and not feel ashamed.

Since, she has worked to encourage children to be out in the fresh air and has had fun designing play centres. She has become a Royal Patron of Place2Be, a mental health charity that provides counselling and emotional support to children and teachers, and helped launch the first-ever Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015.

She believes that detecting problems when children are small can make a huge difference to their lives as adults. Much of her work has been around supporting and reaching out to young mothers, not to tell them what to do, but to share their feelings so they feel less alone. During the pandemic she and William have regularly Zoomed with frontline workers, teachers and parents, appreciating their hard work to help them feel more positive about their lives.

With so much negative noise having been generated around this family for the past year, the funeral on Saturday was not only an opportunity to say goodbye, but also a quiet time of reflection of common family interests and bonds. With Catherine’s natural inclination for looking for the positive in any situation, I can’t think of a better hand to guide them through this next chapter.

I salute Kate’s — sorry, I mean Catherine’s — PR game.

One of the most striking images from Saturday, I thought, was Kate with arm around Prince Charles' shoulder after the service. It was confident and kind and I thought: she more than belongs now. She's one of them. It was not something some one lacking in confidence does. Contrast that with Markle trying to crash that photo op at BP.

Agree, R588, it's much more sophisticated and intelligent than Meghan Markle's, largely because Kate's is rooted in more than her own self-interest. But again, I feel much sorrier for Meghan since she showed us what she's really like and discussed her mental illness on Oprah.

[quote]I'm surprised given his ego that Andrew never married again and tried for a son with the next wife.

No-one whom his idiotic ego deemed worthy enough would touch him with a bargepole. His choice of wife number one was red flag enough; and now he has more baggage than Harrods' luggage department. He's blown it all as much as Harry has.

R572, it was written that Harry brought a "teaam" with him, they are staying there too. It was described as "security" that he flew with but has been rumored to be filmmakers from Netflix, perhaps to get shots in and around Frogmore cottage?

team

The present Earl Snowden is a shirt lifter like his father. Right?

I see that the head commentator from Celeb-witchy has joined us here at r578. Salud!

Thanks to the poster for bringing over the pro-Kate Telegraph articles. They confirm that some kind of longish meeting took place between the Wales (Charles) family right after the funeral, at Windsor. But I wonder how much of that was spent going over Harry's misfortunes? Was it more of a family reminiscing session?

R595 Maybe Charles delivered his bullet-point refutation.

Where was that written, R592? They’d have to quarantine as well OR return to LA on the next flight out as his protection in the UK was reported to have been arranged by the Met Police. If indeed they were with him the entire time he was there, they would serve no security function as they would not be allowed to bring, let alone use firearms in Britain.

For someone complaining about how much security costs, it’d seem stupid to pay salary and accommodations, let alone the $7200 - $8600 r/t fare per person. Not that Harry isn’t stupid.

R592, I'm always faintly bemused when I see the ominous, all knowing 'has been rumoured' or similar.

Half this nonsense hasn't had time to become a rumour. It is at best speculation, in the middle fanficky wishful thinking, and at worst the voices in somebody's head.

R597, thus, the thinking that their purpose in being quarrantined in Frogmore might be connected to Netflix.

I do see a reality show coming. They have little else to sell. And it would be a huge FU to the family.

Leaking phone calls and now leaking letters to his father? Stunting on the church steps? Merching funeral wreaths? The actions show he has not changed a bit, words about "respect" are just a distraction.

R573 - The Earldom of Mar also descended to a woman and is currently held by a woman as Countess of Mar.

R581, please stop decorating your language with triteness such as "arguably." It diminishes your rhetorical flow.

Would someone please do something about Omid Scobie?

This reptilian construction is fawningly Sussexian and a pisspot.

I have ordered the klan granny mug from R562's link. I have a front porch and a rocking chair; the mug will do nicely.